Outlaw Hearts
by Alaena F. Dragonstar
Summary: All is not as it seems when Shinichi, Ran, and Heiji are called in to help deal with an outlaw problem in Ekoda County. Instead they find a legend and a fifty year old curse. :KaiShin:
1. The Phantom

**A.N**: So this is another of those stories I unearthed from my old stuff that I have decided to finish. Pieces of it were written a while ago, but I need to connect them.

Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

Pairing: KaiShin [KaitoxShinichi]

Warnings: This is an AU, and everything that entails.

**Notes**:

**Ages**: Everyone's a little older in this story. Think early twenties for Shinichi's generation.

* * *

**Outlaw Hearts**

1: The Phantom

"They say that three hundred years ago a young man stole the heart of the moon. She would come out every night and they would ride across the grasslands like the wind. But the moon had to return to the sky. So she asked the young man to go with her. However he would not go with her for he knew that any man of earth who left for the skies would never be able to return, and he loved the earth too much. But the moon felt betrayed by the young man's decision. Yet despite her sorrow and anger, she could not bring herself to harm the youth. Instead she decided that if he would not come to her, she would make sure that he could never leave her sight. So she cursed him, taking away his time so that he must forever wander the earth he claimed to love beneath the moon's watchful gaze, unchanging and unchangeable. And she thought that now they could both have what they wanted and be content. But the young man came to the moon once more when he realized what she had done and told her that he would not be satisfied with such a fate, for those who are denied time have no life at all. He did not wish to simply be as everything else changed and passed. Moved by his sincerity, but unable to simply give in to his request, the moon declared instead that she had hidden his time inside a stone and hidden that stone somewhere on the earth. If he could find his time, it would be returned to him, but until then he must remain as he was, forever in her sight."

Seated around the small, wooden table in the inn's common room, two young men and one young woman gazed thoughtfully into their respective cups. Ran Mouri, the girl who had just finished recounting the tale she had been told, tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear and sighed.

"The story is rather popular here it seems," she concluded, looking up at her companions.

Shinichi Kudo, the young man seated to her left frowned slightly, blue eyes thoughtful. "So this thief is claiming to be the person from this legend?"

Heiji Hattori, the last of the three, shrugged as he leaned back in his seat. "Well, not exactly claiming. More been attributed with. Though there are some people who think he's the real deal."

"That's impossible."

"I know, but they say he's been around for at least fifty years or so but by all accounts he's still a young man. That's why they call him the Phantom."

"It just means there have probably been several of them," Shinichi reasoned. "If no one's ever seen his face clearly, then it would be easy for several different men to build the one reputation."

"That's true," the girl agreed. "I think people _want_ to believe he is the legend though. There is a certain romanticism in mystery and myth that people find attractive."

Heiji snorted. "I'll say. Most all the women and girls in town are in love with the bastard."

"Really?" Ran asked in surprise. "I would have thought they'd be scared."

The dark-skinned young man shrugged. "They say he's a real charmer. A real _gentleman_, or something like that. Girls are just weird that way I guess—er, present company excluded, of course."

Ran smiled. "Good save."

There was a moment of contemplative silence before both she and Heiji turned to their blue-eyed companion with expectant faces.

"So? What did the lord say?" the latter prodded.

Shinichi ran a hand through his hair. "It seems this thief—or thieves, as the case may be—has stolen over a dozen highly valuable gems in the last year alone, most of them sapphires. Almost all of them belonged to local nobility like the Suzukis and the Hakubas. Local authorities have had no luck whatsoever in tracking him down. He is supposedly both an expert in disguising himself and a master magician. Last week Lord Hakuba received a notice from him that said he would be taking the three sapphires he is sending to his fiancé that will be leaving by train this afternoon. And that's why we're here. He—"

"Wait, wait," Heiji interjected, raising his hands to forestall further words. "Did you just say the thief _told_ him he would be stealing the jewels on the train?"

Shinichi nodded, extracting the copy of the notice he'd traced and placing it on the table where both his companions could see it. "From what I've been told, it appears to be a habit of his."

"And why's it signed 'KID'?" Heiji asked.

"It's what he calls himself. No one knows what his real name is. Anyhow, we're being hired to make sure that he and his accomplices don't take the sapphires."

"So he has accomplices?" Ran asked curiously. "How many?"

"No one knows."

Heiji snorted. "They really don't know much about this guy do they?"

"Apparently not." Shinichi glanced up at the clock on the common room wall. "We should leave now. I wanted to talk to the sheriff's men being assigned to this before the train leaves."

X

All born in the town of Beika, the three members of the Beika Detective Agency had garnered a name for themselves despite their youth as being some of the brightest and most successful solvers of crime to surface in recent years. They were most well known for their successful tracking down and capture of the outlaw gang known as the Black Riders who had been terrorizing the eastern settlements on the grasslands for the past decade and a half. Ever since then they had been getting requests for aid from towns and cities all over the region. It was about a week ago that they had received the request for their presence by Saguru Hakuba, the young lord who had taken over the running of his family's lands since his father had fallen ill.

"So are those the sapphires KID's after then?" Ran inquired, peering at the suitcase being clutched protectively in the arms of a man dressed in the livery of the Hakuba household.

The man eyed her warily then shrugged. "It might." Then his gaze slid to the side where four other people dressed in the same colors carried four identical suitcases.

"So we'll all be stationed in the fifth car then?" Heiji asked. He surveyed the car in question with a critical eye. There was a door at the front and one at the back connecting this car to the one in front and behind it.

"_We_ will be," the biggest man with a suitcase replied stiffly. "But you are to remain in the fourth with the sheriff's men."

"But what about the sixth and seventh cars?" Shinichi pointed out, frowning.

"They are cargo only and we have already searched them for stowaways and we have men stationed outside to make sure no one sneaks in before the train starts moving," one of the officers explained, herding the three of them into the fourth car before shutting the intervening door. They all heard the locks being secured on the other side.

The seats nearest the now locked door were all occupied by law enforcement officers. The rest of the train's passengers were eyeing them with obvious curiosity. Others looked nervous. Shinichi snorted to himself. Honestly…

"This is ridiculous! Why did they bother hiring us if they're not gonna let us do our job?" Heiji complained, voicing all their thoughts as he dropped into one of the train's padded seats. This one was located in the unofficial boundary zone between the wary officers and the confused passengers.

"Well, we can't really do anything about it if they don't trust us," Ran replied, shaking her head. "I guess we might as well get something to eat. It's going to be a long journey. Do you guys want anything from the dining car?"

"A bite to eat would be nice."

"What about you?" she asked, turning to Shinichi.

He shrugged. "I'll have a cup of coffee if they have it. In the meantime I think I'm going to take a look around."

"I'll keep watch here then," Heiji offered, casting another glance at the locked door to the fifth car. He watched as his two companions left before letting his breath out in an irate huff. This was going to be one dull train ride, he thought.

"That wasn't a very happy sound," an unfamiliar voice remarked. "Are you having a bad day?"

Startled, he looked up to see a pretty girl with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was watching him with curious, brown eyes from the next row of seats.

"Nah, it's nothing really," he replied, scratching the back of his head. "Just a bit annoyed I guess. Long trip ahead and all that."

"I know what you mean," she agreed with a sigh. "I never did like long train rides myself. But at least it's faster than riding or taking a wagon."

"That's true."

"So are you going to visit someone? I'm going to see my best friend. She moved away a few years ago so we don't get to see each other much anymore."

He smiled at the delighted gleam in her eyes. "Wish I was, but I'm working." He jerked his chin in the direction of the locked door and grimaced. "Or trying to anyway. My friends and I have apparently been relegated to the spectator seats."

She glanced at the officers around the door with interest. "Was that what you were sighing about then?"

"Yeah. It's frustrating when you get hired to do something and you come all the way just to be told you have to work from the sidelines."

"That sounds rather unreasonable."

"Tell me about it… I think maybe whoever had the idea of calling us in isn't on the same page as the people in charge."

"Oh, I forgot, my name is Kazuha." She stuck her hand over the back of her seat and smiled. "What about you?"

He found himself smiling back as he shook it. "You can call me Heiji." Maybe this wasn't going to be as boring as he'd thought. He found himself hoping Ran and Shinichi didn't come back too soon.

X

The Raven Express had been built several years ago in order to make it easier for the inhabitants of the grasslands to cross the Oasis. The Oasis was, contrary to its nickname, a barren stretch of land where nothing could be cultivated and no rivers ran. Uninhabitable and dangerous, people used to have to circle all the way around it in order to get to the settlements on the other side. So the people of Ekoda County got together and it was decided that a railway should be built. The tracks had been difficult to lay and their construction took nearly five whole years. There had been moments when everyone thought they might have to give up on the project, but they pushed on. Their perseverance was eventually rewarded. Now it was the pride of many in the area.

Despite its fame, this was the first time Shinichi had ever been on the Raven Express himself. Having grown up in a neighboring county on the eastern borders of the grasslands, he'd never come this far west before. Seeing all those endless hills and rocky ridges made him miss the sea, but it was beautiful here too in its own way. Much more quiet too without the ocean's steady roar or the never ending cries of the gulls.

"I take it this your first time on the express."

Startled, Shinichi tore his gaze away from the racing scenery beyond the window to find that a young man in a uniform that marked him as one of the workers on the train standing beside him. He was a little taller than Shinichi but appeared to be around the same age, maybe a year or two older at most. His own gaze was still trained on the view outside as he stood with his hands in his pockets.

"Is it that obvious?" Shinichi asked.

The stranger flashed him an amused grin at that. "After you've been working the route for a few rounds it's easy to tell who's new and who's not."

"I see." He wondered if that meant he looked like a tourist.

"It's not a bad thing," the stranger continued, grin fading into a faint smile. "It's good to hang on to that sense of wonder for things. Not many people do."

Shinichi blinked in mild confusion at the rather odd statement. What wonder? All he'd been doing was looking outside. "I am afraid I don't quite catch your meaning."

The stranger however just shrugged. "Sorry, I get that a lot. Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know that you should find a seat soon. The next part of the journey can sometimes be a bit rough. I need to head back and make sure all the luggage is secure before my boss starts yelling. See ya." He tipped his hat and continued on his way. Shinichi watched him go feeling oddly like he'd missed something.

The first car was mostly deserted so Shinichi picked a random seat and sat down as two more train attendants left the engine room and made their way down to later parts of the train. It being around noon, most of the other passengers had headed to the dining car. The only other occupant of his current car was a young woman also in Raven Express livery. She was arranging a tray of drinks.

Shinichi's eyebrows drew together. Why was she doing that here instead of in the dining car? His eyes narrowed when he saw her deftly slip something into the glasses.

"Excuse me, Miss!" he called out as he stood up abruptly and approached her. "I need drinks for my friends, can I have those?"

She looked around at him quickly, surprise flashing across her face before it disappeared behind an apologetic smile. "Oh I'm sorry, but I was actually getting these for someone else. If you'll wait a moment though, I can get more for you once I've delivered these."

"What did you put in them?"

She froze, her smile going wooden. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw you adding—" He was cut off by an earsplitting crack that had both him and the girl jerking their heads around in search of its source.

X

Ran was still waiting in line for her turn in the dining car when the shots rang out. The first thought that flashed through her mind was that the Phantom was making his move, but then she remembered that they had been told he and his men didn't kill. Had those been warning shots? Or was this another group of thieves? If so, then had they been the ones to orchestrate this under another's name or were both sets here?

She had just pulled herself out of the line and was trying to push her way through the frozen, confused crowd when the entire train rocked with an explosion. She lurched and would have fallen if the dining car hadn't been as packed as it was.

All around her people started to panic as yet another explosion rocked the train. What the hell was going on?

Finally reaching the door, she charged back into the fourth car where the passengers were crouched down amidst the seats in fear and the officers were scattered near the gaping hole that now gave them a clear view into the car where the sapphires had been being kept. Or it would have if the fifth car wasn't rapidly disappearing into the horizon. The officers' clothes were stained with dark patches that Ran recognized to be blood.

Sprawled near them, was an all too familiar figure.

"Heiji!" she gasped in horror, darting forward and dropping down beside her friend, bumping shoulders with one of the passengers who was apparently applying a hasty bandage to a bullet wound in the dark-skinned boy's arm.

"I'm all right," Heiji said the moment he saw her, his voice strained but steady.

"What happened?"

"This bunch of people who were sitting with us just up and pulled out guns!" the girl who'd been helping Heiji exclaimed, her voice shaky. "They shot the officers and blew the door open and—and then they shot those other men, the ones with the suitcases, and then they were just gone!"

"Looks like we've all been duped," Heiji grated out through gritted teeth. "None of us were expecting that kind of force. Where's Shinichi? He should've come running in here by now."

"I don't know." Ran frowned. Heiji was right. Shinichi was usually the first one on the scene. She was halfway back onto her feet when another explosion threw her across the aisle.

X

The explosions were far too close. The early ones had been distant, somewhere at the end of the train, but now they were literally next door.

Having been thrown onto the floor for the third time already, Shinichi scrambled onto his hands and knees and looked around. Hot pieces of metal littered the floor around him, cutting at his palms as he moved, but he ignored them. The end of the car before him was a wreck and the girl he'd been talking to was bleeding from several cuts but she seemed otherwise unharmed. She too was clambering back onto her feet, her face pale and confused.

Looking past her, sharp blue eyes widened as he realized that the train car beyond, now clearly visible through the obliterated door, was beginning to fall away. Those explosions must have been designed to separate the cars.

Cursing inwardly, Shinichi lunged and pushed the girl into the departing train car just as it finished breaking away. He landed flat on his stomach, half hanging out over the edge of what was now the end of the train. The tracks raced by mere feet below his nose as the wind tore at his hair. With an effort, he managed to drag himself back away from that deadly fall. In the distance the rest of the train's detached body grew smaller and smaller by the second.

His heart was pounding so loudly that it was all he could hear and his breaths rasped in his throat in painful gasps. But he didn't have time to just sit around and be relieved.

Scrambling to his feet, he ran through the empty car and threw open the door to the engine room. Instantly a cloud of thick, black smoke billowed out, wrapping around him in searing waves and clogging in his throat. He doubled over, slapping a hand over his nose and mouth as he struggled to breathe. His eyes watered and he couldn't see a damned thing. What had happened to the people who were supposed to be working there? And the conductor? He barely had a second to wonder how he was supposed to check what was wrong, let alone figure out how to fix it—especially since he didn't know a single thing about trains other than that this couldn't be a healthy sign, when his world erupted in fire, smoke, and the smell of gunpowder.

His last thought before he lost consciousness was that this was not how he wanted to die. At least he was the only person left in this part of the train.

X

Everything hurt.

It was a dull, throbbing pain that suffused every inch of his body from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. If asked, he would have been hard pressed to say which part hurt the most. Or the least for that matter. On the other hand, since he'd expected to be dead, he supposed it could have been worse.

Then again, maybe he was just lying on the side of the tracks now and he was going to either starve or bake to death under the Oasis's relentless sun if he didn't turn into something's dinner first. It wasn't all that hot right now though.

Deciding he couldn't put it off any longer, he cracked open his eyes. Expecting to see the empty sky, he was surprised to find himself looking instead at a dark, cavern ceiling. From the play of the light on the uneven stone, he could tell that there was sunlight coming in from his left. But he must be far enough away from the cave entrance for it not to be shining directly on him. That, at least, would explain why he was only warm. How had he gotten here though?

Carefully, he levered himself up into a sitting position, biting his tongue against the protests being lodged by all his limbs. A look down at himself revealed that someone had treated his injuries. His right leg had been splinted, while his midriff and arms were wrapped in bandages. Said bandages looked suspiciously like pieces of his jacket, which he was no longer wearing. The rest of his clothes looked rather worse for wear, but not quite as bad as he had expected. So someone had brought him here.

Self examination complete, he turned his head towards his left. As he had predicted, the cave mouth stared back, looking out onto the dry, rugged landscape of the Oasis. Only the view was partially obscured by a person seated just inside the cavern mouth.

The person must have heard him moving, for he turned to regard him with a pair of calculating, indigo eyes.

"You might want to lie back down," he said.

"You," Shinichi gasped in recognition. It was the young man he had talked to on the train—the one who'd claimed to be one of the train attendants. Only instead of the Raven Express uniform, he was now dressed in white.

"So you remember me," the stranger noted, his lips quirking into a smile. "That's good. How are you feeling?"

Shinichi couldn't stop the grimace that forced its way onto his face at the question. "How do you think?"

The other man laughed at his answer. "I suppose it _was_ a stupid question. So your name was Shinichi, correct?"

"Yeah." Shinichi confirmed then frowned. "How did you know?"

"I make it my business to know things. Especially when they relate to my work."

There was a pause before blue eyes widened in realization. "You—you're the Phantom!"

"Why ever would you say that?" the other asked, but there was no question in his tone. Only amusement. Obviously he didn't care if Shinichi knew or not, and that made the detective a little nervous.

There were, however, more important things he needed to know about.

"The train," he began, eyeing the thief's face closely. "Were you—"

"That was not my doing," the thief cut in coolly, expression neutral though his eyes had hardened at the accusation. "There were robbers on the train. They separated the cars and sabotaged the engine. I believe they may also have killed the conductor and the engineers. It seems they ran off with the cargo and stranded the passengers. The idea was probably to keep the authorities too busy rescuing the passengers to search for them and their loot."

"I see… And the jewels?"

A smirk flashed across the thief's face as he opened one hand to reveal a small, gold case which Shinichi recognized from his first meeting with the lord when he'd been shown the sapphires in question. "Do you mean these?"

He narrowed his eyes in indignation. "You mean you took them anyway after everything that happened?"

The gold case disappeared.

"Pardon me, but I acquired these well before our dear uncivilized robber friends made their move. It's not my fault if you lot didn't notice. And really, rather than pointing fingers, you should be thanking me for pulling you out of that explosion, Detective. Otherwise you'd be nothing but ashes right about now."

Shinichi looked the thief over in disbelief ."How could you have pulled me out? You don't have a scratch on you!"

KID simply raised an eyebrow, his tone mocking. "Does it matter how it happened?"

Obviously the man wasn't going to answer the question. Looking away from that too-knowing smirk that was beginning to make him feel like a clueless child, Shinichi stared instead at the cave wall opposite him. "Why did you help me?"

"Why did you help Aoko?" the thief countered.

Shinichi frowned in confusion. "Who?"

"The girl you pushed into the other car before it broke away," KID clarified, his voice growing serious. "You could have gone yourself. Instead you helped her even though you knew she was one of my people. Why?"

"That's a stupid question," Shinichi muttered, feeling more uncomfortable by the second. "I can't stand by and watch someone die."

There was a long moment of silence. "I see."

Slightly surprised, though not entirely sure why, Shinichi turned his gaze back to the white-clad figure seated by the cave mouth. KID caught his gaze and quirked a questioning eyebrow.

"Were you expecting something?"

"I—no…" he shrugged then winced as the motion reminded him of his injuries. "I guess maybe I'm just surprised you didn't laugh."

"And why would I do that?" the thief asked, sounding honestly mystified.

Why _had_ he thought that? Maybe because he was talking to a criminal? He'd met more than his fair share of people who would find the idea of saving someone who was supposed to be your enemy ludicrous indeed. Not all of them were criminals either. "Lord Hakuba says you're an unscrupulous criminal with no respect for anything."

"Does he now?" KID stood up and walked towards him, making Shinichi tense in sudden anxiety. If he could have, he would have moved away. As it was he gulped as the thief braced one hand on the cavern wall and leaned down until their noses were practically touching, his smirk widening slightly. "Don't believe everything you hear."

For a moment Shinichi couldn't breathe. All he could do was stare into those deep, indigo eyes that seemed to be laughing. Then the thief was walking away.

"I will return shortly. I recommend that you try to rest."

Shinichi's shoulders sagged in relief as his breath left him in a shuddering sigh (_why_ did he feel like blushing?). There was something…something strange about those eyes.

**TBC**

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**A.N**: This should have eight chapters and will be updating in place of Illusions of the Sun now that Illusions is done. Well, hope you enjoyed and see you next time!


	2. An Open Sky

Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

Pairing: KaiShin [KaitoxShinichi]

* * *

**Outlaw Hearts**

2: An Open Sky

The following weeks passed with an agonizing slowness for Shinichi. Unable to do more than sit or lie around the cave for endless hours on end was making him antsy. He had no idea if he was a prisoner or not, or what the thief planned to do with him once his injuries were healed. All he knew for sure was that KID probably wouldn't kill him, and he apparently wasn't going to leave him to die on his own or they wouldn't be here. But now he knew what the thief looked like, so it was unlikely that KID was going to let him go just like that. What did that leave?

The question nagged at the back of his mind, but he didn't have the answers and he couldn't do anything right now even if he did.

The first few days had passed in almost complete silence. The Phantom came and went as he pleased, though he spent most of his time near the mouth of the cave, either keeping a lookout or maybe guarding his captive. Shinichi couldn't tell which. Their conversations had been limited to the short phrases necessary when the thief changed his bandages and checked his injuries. Other than that their longest conversation had been on the first night when the thief had plopped himself down right beside him and pulled him into a half embrace without so much as a 'by your leave'.

"What are you doing?" he'd demanded, half shocked half alarmed, only to get an amused chuckle for his troubles.

"The temperatures around here drop like rocks the moment the sun sets. I only have the one cloak and your jacket isn't really wearable anymore. Unless you feel like freezing overnight, we're going to have to share." That said, he pulled the aforementioned cloak out of the supplies that had been piled farther into the cave and wrapped it around them both.

Needless to say, Shinichi hadn't gotten a wink of sleep that night, or the following. As the days passed however he'd gotten used to the arrangement and started to get more sleep.

So here he was once again, counting the cracks on the cavern floor for the fifth time that day. If things went on like this much longer he was going to slowly lose his mind and then it wouldn't matter if his injuries healed or not.

Resisting the urge to bang his head against the wall behind him out of sheer boredom, he turned his gaze once again to the taunting light of the sun pouring in through the cavern mouth. The sky outside was a flawless expanse of blue unmarred by even the wispiest of clouds. How he wished he could be out there right now… Then again, he could tell from where he was sitting that it was probably sweltering out there, so perhaps it was just as well that he was stuck here.

He let out his millionth sigh of the day and finally looked at the man seated at the cavern mouth, examining something that sparkled blue and gold in the sunlight. He frowned. The thief was actually looking over his loot right there in front of him! It was both irritating and kind of depressing.

"What's with that look, Detective?" the thief asked without looking around.

Shinichi started at the sudden question, then snorted. "I was just thinking how some people have no respect for other people's property."

The thief actually laughed. "You wound me. I have plenty of respect for property. Believe it or not, this one," he held up the stone he had been fingering, "belonged to me long before it fell into the hands of the Hakubas. I am simply retrieving what's mine."

The detective frowned. "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

That earned him a crooked smile. "Haven't you heard my story? I believe it is quite the popular tale around here."

"You're not actually expecting me to believe that you're the person from that legend about the moon are you?" Shinichi asked dryly.

The thief laughed. "No. Although," he added, tone growing thoughtful as he turned his head to gaze up at the sky outside, "I do believe that was where she got her inspiration."

Shinichi's frown deepened in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

The thief fell silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable, until finally he turned again to regard Shinichi with a strange little smile that didn't reach his eyes. "What would you say if I told you that I've been the way I am now for the last fifty years?"

"…That's not possible."

"Do you think so?"

Shinichi shifted where he sat, beginning to feel distinctly uneasy. Something about the atmosphere was making the suggestion…sound like more than just a suggestion. But…that couldn't be… Could it?

The thief seemed to sense his uncertainty and his smile grew a fraction. "You asked me before how I managed to pull you out of that explosion without getting injured myself. Well, Detective, the fact of the matter is that that explosion couldn't hurt me. Not the way it did you. You see, my existence became locked fifty years ago. I do not age, I do not change, I can't be wounded, and I cannot die. I don't even need to eat or drink. When everything I know is long dead and gone, I will still be exactly as you see me now."

And something about the way he said it in that moment under the evening sun's dark, golden light left no doubt in Shinichi's mind that, impossible as it sounded, it was true. And the look he saw in those intense, indigo eyes made his stomach twist. "I'm…sorry to hear that."

The magician shrugged, his earlier severity melting away a little to make room for amusement. "It's not as bad as it sounds. You get to see a lot of things over the years."

"How did you end up like…like that?" Shinichi asked a bit hesitantly, not sure if it was his place to ask but curious nonetheless. There was a distant look in the thief's eyes and it made him wonder just how lonely it must be to watch the world go by without you. It was a terrible fate to bestow upon a person. What could KID have possibly done to warrant it?

KID glanced at him then shrugged. "Let's just say you should never get on the wrong side of a witch. When they curse you, it's not just a figure of speech."

"But then…what about your family?"

"My family?" The words left the thief's tongue as though they had not been spoken for a very long time. "Well, my father was a treasure hunter actually. Worked with a man called Jii. When I was old enough he started letting me go out journeying with him and we picked up Ginzo and his wife—well, future wife at the time—along the way. You've met their daughter, Aoko. Those were the good days," he mused, smiling faintly at some memory or other. "We'd spend time on the road and just have fun chasing old stories and stuff like that. Found a good few interesting things too. Met a lot of people. My parents both passed on some years ago, but I had more than my fair share of time with them so I suppose I can't complain."

"You are looking at me like I said something strange," he noted, quirking an amused eyebrow in the detective's direction. "Care to enlighten me as to why?"

Shinichi shook his head slowly, though more in befuddlement than anything else. "You…didn't have to tell me all that."

"I know."

"So then…why did you?"

"I suppose I simply felt like it. Believe it or not, you're the first person who has ever asked me about it," the thief replied, a rather sardonic smile lighting on his face. "Most people get stuck on the curse."

"Oh." He thought that was pretty understandable. It was an incredible story. Unbelievable, yet somehow not.

"What about you?" the thief inquired after a moment's silence. "Are your parents detectives too?"

Shinichi frowned, looking away. "I…don't really remember them. They left when I was still really young."

"Left?"

"Oh, they didn't die or anything," he said quickly, hearing the hesitant question in the other's tone. "They were part of a traveling theater troupe that had its headquarters in Beika. They traveled around most of the year. Children couldn't go with them though, so I used to stay with an old friend of theirs. They used to come back to Beika at least once or twice a year but they haven't been back for several years now. We heard they might have received an invitation to perform overseas."

And it was strange that he could tell this outlaw of all people these things that he usually didn't discuss with anyone. It felt only fair, he supposed, since the thief had shared his own tale, but it made him feel uneasy too. Not because he was uncomfortable, but rather because, with each passing day, he was finding himself a little too comfortable.

That first real conversation had been followed by others. Sometimes the thief would tell him stories—strange ones and funny ones which were hard to classify as fact or fiction. Other times they talked about the places they had seen or just about the random thoughts that crossed their minds. Anything to fill the silence of the Oasis.

KID wasn't anything like what Shinichi had expected.

He was starting…to kind of like the thief's company. And that worried him. Things weren't supposed to work that way. You weren't supposed to like thieves, especially when you were a detective. What was wrong with him?

X

"You know, I've always wanted to see the sea."

"You mean you haven't?" Shinichi asked, honestly surprised. "You made it sound like you've been everywhere."

The thief chuckled at that. "Many places, but most certainly not everywhere. I doubt anyone in the world could ever go everywhere. Although it would be fun to try."

"It would," Shinichi agreed, thinking back on all the stories he'd read about far away places and people. When he'd been younger, he'd been content just reading about it all, but after a while it was hard not to want to be the one to have those adventures. "But why do you want to see the sea?"

"Well, it always sounds amazing when people describe it—a realm of water as far as the eye can see, beyond which who knows what kinds of lands might lie. I suppose it always sounded like an adventure."

"I suppose that's true." Shinichi closed his eyes, thinking back. "You can never see the other side so there can always be something more there. There's a cliff near the bay back home. I used to go there a lot to read or just watch the sunset. You can see all the ships coming and going from there, and almost the entire city too if you turn around. But even from so high up, you could always hear the sea."

"Do you miss it?" KID asked, his voice now quiet.

Shinichi had to think about that one. "I'm not sure," he said finally. "Maybe a little, but, well, I actually spent all the time I was there thinking about going other places. It seems strange to miss it now when I finally get a chance to travel."

KID laughed. "I suppose that's true. But home is always home, no?"

"I guess so."

"Is there anywhere in particular you want to see?"

"I…don't know. Anywhere I haven't already been, I guess. I've only ever been in Beika and now here. I'd say the things I haven't seen so far outweigh the things I have that I don't really have anything to be picky about. Although," he added a bit tentatively, "if I had to pick something, I guess what I'd really like to see is snow."

The thief's grin softened into a smile. "You know, I was at this village up in the mountains in the far north once. There they had snow all year round. A lot of people think it's a pain, but it sure was a beautiful place. If you'd like, I could take you there some time."

Shinichi blinked, wondering if the thief realized that he had just offered to go on what sounded like a vacation trip with a detective, but he decided not to say anything about it. Truth be told, there were times when he almost forgot that KID was, in reality, an outlaw. Perhaps the thief was just doing the same.

X

The days turned into weeks. Most of Shinichi's cuts and burns had healed, but his leg was taking its sweet time. He knew broken bones couldn't be rushed, but it didn't make him feel any less restless.

"Where are you going to get these supplies anyway?" he'd asked the thief one day as he watched him troupe back into the cave with food and a full water bottle along with more bandages. He couldn't help but envy how KID could just leave and return any time he pleased.

"There's a larger cave not far from here that actually has a really small spring at the back where me and mine camp sometimes," KID explained, handing him the water bottle. "I don't need it, but my assistants do, so we keep it well stocked."

Shinichi paused, staring into the water bottle as a sudden sense of anxiety swept through him. "Shouldn't you be going back to them?"

KID shrugged. "Nah. They can take care of themselves. They know I'll come find them when the time is right."

"Oh." And again he wondered what the thief planned to do with him when that time came. With no idea exactly where they were, no supplies, and no transportation other than his own two legs (one of which wouldn't be up to much for some time more), all he could do was wait and see. He supposed he could have just asked, but part of him didn't really want to know. Didn't want to think about the future yet.

KID himself didn't seem to be in any kind of hurry either, even as they passed the one month mark. But perhaps the passage of time didn't hold as much significance for him anymore, Shinichi mused. If he hadn't believed the thief's story before, he had plenty of proof now. For one, he hadn't seen the Phantom eat or drink anything except for that one bag of dried, sugar coated pineapples (which he'd apparently eaten just because he liked them) that whole _month_ but the guy was still fit as a fiddle and as energetic as ever.

"They've been looking for you, you know."

Startled from his thoughts, Shinichi glanced up. "What?"

"Your friends have been looking for you."

"How would you know that?" he asked, wondering if they were a lot closer to civilization than he'd thought.

"You'd be surprised how far you can see around here if you pick the right vantage point."

"Oh." Guilt twisted in Shinichi's chest. Ran and Heiji had to be worried sick. And all he was doing was sitting around.

"It would be foolish to try to cross the Oasis in your condition," the thief said sharply, almost like he'd read Shinichi's mind. "Just give it time," he continued, tone softening. "Once your leg is well enough, I'll make sure you get back to them."

Blue eyes snapped around to meet his. "So…you're letting me go?"

KID's eyebrow rose. "What, did you think I was going to imprison you here for the rest of your life?"

Shinichi flushed in embarrassment. "No, I just…"

"I'm not a barbarian, Detective."

"Yeah, but I thought…" He trailed off, mind scrambling for the right words as he wished he hadn't said anything at all. It wasn't like he didn't want to go back. He should just accept his good fortune and be done with it.

"You are thinking that I am being careless," his companion guessed, lips quirking into a wry smile. "But if you take a moment to think about it, I am sure you'll see that I have very little to worry about. Besides, you helped a close friend of mine. It's only right that I return the favor."

"I see." That made sense. Relieved and filled with a new respect for the outlaw, Shinichi smiled.

On the other side of the cave, indigo eyes watched him, observing the way the sunlight sparkled in blue eyes, making them look almost like gems themselves.

X

"What's with that look on your face?"

"I am contemplating the pros and cons of the human inability to die of boredom."

"…Okay. Well, once you've come to a conclusion, would you like to play chess?"

"You brought a chess set out to the middle of nowhere?"

"Nope, although it occurs to me that the middle of nowhere might be the best place to bring one. What I meant however was that we could play with our imaginations."

Shinichi turned the idea over in his head. He'd heard of people doing that before, though he'd never tried it. It sounded…kind of interesting. "All right."

The first time Shinichi won a game, the thief's face broke out into a grin that looked physically impossible. "You know, that's the first time I've lost at this in thirty years."

Shinichi grinned back. "This does happen to be one of my favorite games."

Although he had to admit he'd never played anyone as good as KID before. It was thrilling and made the hours fly by to boot. Admittedly, he still lost more games than he won, but he could see from the thief's narrowed eyes that he was giving the game his all as well.

And considering how much time he'd apparently had to practice, that was rather gratifying.

And it was in moments like these that he realized that somewhere along the line he had started to see the thief as something like a friend. He wasn't sure what to think about _that_.

X

"I want to show you something," KID said one evening, coming to sit down beside Shinichi.

The detective watched him with curious eyes. "What is it?"

With a flourish, a small, gold pocket watch appeared in the thief's hands. It sparkled as it spun slowly in the air. Shinichi blinked, then glanced at the thief who's expression was one he'd never seen before and couldn't quite place. It looked…softer, maybe a little anxious, a little hopeful, and something more that Shinichi didn't have a name for. Blue eyes turned back to the watch as it gradually grew still. The lid had a starburst pattern on it, each point a dark, shining shard of blue.

"You can take a closer look if you'd like," the thief said.

Shinichi hesitated a moment before he carefully took the dangling watch from the thief's fingers. He could sense that this, whatever it was, was extremely important, and he wondered briefly why KID was showing it to him before his thoughts focused entirely on the watch itself.

It was cool to the touch and didn't warm as he turned it over in his hands. The blue stones set into its lid were, he realized, sapphires just like the ones KID was reputed to like to steal. In fact, they were shaped exactly like the one jewel the thief had claimed belonged to him that day weeks ago. The pattern, however, was missing two prongs. Their shapes had been molded into the cold, but the jewels themselves were absent.

"Is this where the gems you've been collecting came from?" he asked.

The thief nodded. "That's right."

"Is it some kind of heirloom?"

KID let out a low chuckle before taking the pocket watch from Shinichi's hand and popping it open to reveal that the jewels weren't the only parts missing. The watch had no hands. "No. This, my dear Detective, is my time."

"Your…time?"

"Yep. Once I have all of it, I get my time back. I'll be normal again."

Shinichi nodded slowly, feeling a little dazed at the idea. It sounded like a storybook, but he had no doubt that the thief meant what he said. "And then what will you do?"

Indigo eyes turned to him with an enigmatic gleam. "That depends. But I'll cross that bridge when I get there."

"Well, I wish you luck," Shinichi said, meaning every word. The thief smiled at him then, a real smile that, for once, didn't seem to be hiding any secrets, and it made him feel strangely like he had accomplished something. Then he just felt weird. Being stuck out here alone with the thief for so long was doing strange things to his head, he decided. Hopefully it wasn't going to be permanent.

X

"If you polish those any more you're going to polish them right out of existence," Shinichi snapped, glaring sidelong at the thief seated beside him in the cave mouth. It had been a particularly stifling day so the moment the evening breeze began to blow they had shifted to somewhere where they could feel it.

KID looked up from where he had been polishing his pocket watch and the two pendants that belonged to the Hakubas for what Shinichi was sure was the fiftieth time that day with a grin. "Well, we couldn't have that."

That said, he flipped the three trinkets up into the air, juggled them briefly, then made them all disappear in puffs of smoke.

Shinichi rolled his eyes. He'd learned that the rumors about the thief's penchant for magic tricks was true. It seemed he couldn't go a day without pulling something even if he was the only one who saw it.

"What are you going to do with the pendants anyway?" he asked. "Since they're not part of your set."

"What I always do, probably."

"And that would be…?"

"What, didn't anyone tell you?" KID asked, sounding honestly surprised.

Shinichi shook his head. "People were generally more interested in the part where things went missing. So what _do_ you do with the ones you don't want?"

"I return them at a reasonable price," KID replied cheerfully.

The detective's brows furrowed. "So basically you ransom them."

"I suppose you could call it that," he agreed amiably. "I would just give them back, but I do need supplies, and it's not like the nobles can't spare a little gold. Really they're getting the better end of the deal. I could sell the things for a lot more than I ask of them if I wanted to. And if I don't need anything they get them back for free."

Blue eyes narrowed in disapproval. "That doesn't make it right."

"Perhaps. But you know, they get a lot of publicity from the deal, and you know how much nobles like to be famous. They should really thank me."

"So…they're supposed to be glad that they were robbed by the legendary Phantom," Shinichi surmised. "That makes no sense whatsoever."

"Kaito."

"What?"

"My name is Kaito."

Shinichi frowned. "Why are you telling me?"

"Do you find the idea that I would like you to know my name that strange? I know yours after all."

"That's completely different and you know it," Shinichi snapped. "You're a wanted outlaw, remember? Why do you keep _telling_ me things? What do you want from me anyway? Why—"

"Has anyone ever told you that you think too much?"

Shinichi scowled. "No, they ha—" He was cut off abruptly by a warm mouth on his.

His mind blanked out.

Something warm and wet slipped into his mouth. A shudder ran down his spine as a tiny sound that might have been a protest or encouragement sounded in his throat.

It wasn't until a few moments later that he really realized what was happening. _KID_ was _kissing_ him—and he was letting him. What was he thinking?

With a muffled exclamation of mixed confusion and horror he wriggled out from under the thief (how had he ended up on his back?) and scuttled crab-like across the limited width of the cavern.

"What did you—why did you—You just—"

Kaito was giving him a rather puzzled look as he made to stand but Shinichi held up a hand to forestall him.

"Don't come any closer!" he snapped as he struggled to sort through the rather confusing maelstrom of feelings that had welled up in him in the last few seconds.

Kaito raised an eyebrow at that but sat down again. "You don't have to look so horrified. It was just a kiss. Anyone would think you'd never been kissed before."

Shinichi could feel himself turning redder but that was so not the issue here. "Stop changing the subject!"

"Okay, okay, calm down," the thief said in a soothing tone like someone trying to coax a frightened animal out of a corner. "I'm not going to hurt you, and I certainly didn't mean to scare you."

"I am _not_ scared!" he lied vehemently. So he wasn't in the best condition, had nowhere to go, and had just found out that the man who'd been looking after him was…was what?

He was having a hard time wrapping his mind around the idea that the thief might actually _like_ him. They'd only known each other for a little over two months after all. That was no time at all. Well, maybe he was jumping to conclusions here. Just because the thief apparently found him attractive didn't mean he actually liked _him_. He wasn't sure if that thought made him feel better or worse.

Thoughts running in circles in his head, he watched the thief warily for the rest of the evening and refused to say a word (mostly because he didn't know what to say, but that wasn't the point). When the sun set and Kaito picked up the cloak they'd been using as a blanket, he flinched and glared.

Sighing, the thief sat back down. "I can see you shivering from over here, and frankly I'm pretty cold too. The thing is I'm not going to get sick but you will. I promise I'm not going to do anything to you."

Shinichi held out for another fifteen minutes before giving in. By then his teeth were literally chattering. At least it saved him from having to say something. Still, he kept a wary eye on KID as the thief approached.

"Honestly," Kaito murmured as he carefully tucked the cloak around the two of them. "I gave you my word. And I'm not that kind of person," he added, sounding just a touch offended. "Do you have so little faith in me even after all this time?"

Shinichi frowned but didn't say anything. If he really thought about it, he knew he was probably overreacting. It was just that he really _hadn't_ kissed anyone before. He'd never really liked anyone before, and he'd certainly never had anyone express such things towards him. What was he supposed to do? He'd always been more of a loner before he met Ran and Heiji, and they were like the family he couldn't remember having.

What really bothered him though was that he had kind of enjoyed the kiss.

Well, it wasn't like this…whatever this was could go anywhere anyway. His leg was almost completely better now, or at least as much as could be expected. Soon he would be back with Ran and Heiji and they would go back to Beika and Kaito would return to his band and go back to weaving his legends around Ekoda County. So in the end it wouldn't matter if Kaito really liked him or if he liked the thief because they would be back where they would probably never see each other again.

Somehow the thought wasn't as comforting as he'd hoped it would be. Being out here really was messing with his head.

**TBC**

* * *

**A.N**: Yes, the Nakamoris are working for Kaito—along with the rest of the task force, etc. Kaito needed subordinates, and they were rather convenient. And it amuses me, hehe.


	3. Our Separate Ways

Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

* * *

**Outlaw Hearts**

3: Our Separate Ways

"Well, it looks like you can walk on your own now," Kaito observed, watching as Shinichi carefully picked his way across the width of the cave and back several times. "It takes four days' travel by foot to reach the nearest town. I believe your friends are still there. We can leave whenever you'd like."

Shinichi let out a sigh as he sank back onto the ground and leaned back against the cavern wall. "How about tomorrow morning? I think I'm still a bit shaky. Hopefully it'll pass by tomorrow if I keep taking short walks through today."

Kaito nodded and stood up, dusting off his clothes. "In that case, I shall go acquire us the necessary supplies."

Shinichi watched him go, feeling a bit odd.

Kaito hadn't brought up the kiss since that day, and Shinichi certainly hadn't either. But the detective couldn't help but think about it. It wasn't like he had much else to occupy his mind with. So he'd spent hours poking at the memory with the mental equivalent of a long stick, trying to analyze the chaotic mess of emotions that bubbled up in him whenever he remembered the thief's touch. Trying to convince himself that it had only been nervousness making his insides squirm and nothing else. The problem was that the more he tried to convince himself that he didn't feel anything towards the thief, the less he was sure it was so.

His only hope was that the strange feelings would go away once they parted ways. And if part of him didn't really want to say goodbye, it was because he'd gotten used to the thief's company and the conversations they'd had.

X

Those last four days were like the end of a dream—surreal and wrapped in a timeless haze. When the town outskirts appeared over the horizon, time began to run again.

"Do you think you can make it there from here without me?"

Shinichi measured the distance with his eyes and nodded. "I think so." He stared at the distant buildings for a moment longer before squaring his shoulders and turning to face the thief.

"Thank you," he said, looking the thief straight in the eyes.

Kaito smiled, and Shinichi found himself trying to memorize the expression before he realized what he was doing. "It was my pleasure."

They stood like that a moment longer before Shinichi turned back towards the town. Part of him felt like he should say more, but he didn't know what that would be so he didn't.

"One more thing."

"What?"

When he didn't hear an answer, Shinichi looked up only to take an involuntary step back in surprise when he found Kaito standing right in front of him. He hadn't heard the thief move at all. That step however put his back up against the warm but rough surface of the boulders they were hiding behind and Kaito was still coming closer. Shinichi raised his hands, though he wasn't entirely sure what he was going to do with them. One of Kaito's hands caught his wrists before he could make up his mind and the other went to his hip as the distance between them dwindled, effectively keeping him where he was.

"Kaito," he started, but he was cut off before he could say any more by the thief's lips ghosting gently over his own.

"We'll see each other again," Kaito murmured into his ear. The promise in the thief's voice sent a shiver down his spine.

And then the thief was gone.

Like he'd never been there at all.

X

When Shinichi walked into the inn where he and his companions had been staying before the train fiasco, the entire common room fell instantly silent. Then a buzz of conversation filled the air and he could feel the weight of all their stares as he made his way to the stairs. He was immensely grateful when he got far enough up the steps to shake off their shocked and curious eyes. He still remembered exactly which door opened into their suite. Hopefully the others were still there.

He heard their voices before he reached the door.

"—lousy bastards!" Heiji's familiar voice was cursing in mixed frustration and outrage. "They wouldn't say that if it was one of _their_ people missing!"

"Well, you don't actually know that for sure…" Ran's quieter voice replied.

"What? You aren't gonna start _agreeing_ with them are you?"

A sigh. "Of course not. I believe he's still alive too, but I'm just saying that you can't blame them for not thinking the same way. If they don't want to help us look anymore, we just have to do it ourselves."

Heiji snorted but it sounded like his temper was dying down in the face of reason.

In the momentary lull, Shinichi knocked. There was the sound of grumbling from the other side of the door before it swung open.

"What—" Heiji started then stopped, mouth frozen in a silent 'o'.

"Um, hi," Shinichi said a bit awkwardly. "I'm sorry I took so long getting back."

"Shinichi!" Ran gasped. Leaping out of her chair, she pushed past Heiji and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "You're all right! What _happened_? Everyone else was sure you were dead! We thought at first maybe the robbers caught you but when we tracked them down you weren't with them either! Where have you been?"

Ten minutes later they were all seated inside and he told them about how one of the other passengers had helped him. He didn't tell them who it had been, just that the man had found a small spring and they had managed to make their way back once Shinichi's leg would allow. Part of him felt guilty about keeping the rest of the story from them. He knew fundamentally that he should tell them what he'd learned about the thief, but… He just couldn't bring himself to. Besides, it wasn't like any of it could strictly be considered useful. And he felt like he owed the thief at least that much after all the help he'd offered, even if he hadn't asked for anything.

He tried to ignore the tiny voice in the back of his mind that suggested that maybe he wanted to keep the story to himself because it had become personal somehow. Like a special memory you didn't want to share with the world.

But that was ridiculous.

And yet, that night, as he lay in a proper bed for the first time in almost three months, Shinichi found himself grappling in vain with sleep. He was exhausted, but he couldn't help but feel like something was missing.

X

A young woman stood on the edge of the small camp perched in the protective arms of a rocky grotto. The wind tugged at her long, brown hair as she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun and peer out across the Oasis. Like with every other time she had looked, the endless stretches of dry, rugged land were devoid of visible life. Her breath left her in a quiet sigh of disappointment.

"What're you looking for?"

Startled, she jumped and spun on her heels. "Kaito!"

"The one and only!" he replied with a broad grin. "Were you waiting for me?"

Her expression morphed instantly into a scowl. "Well duh! It's about time you got back!"

"Whoa there, aren't I even going to get a 'how are you'? And here I was hurrying back since I thought you'd be worried about me." He had the nerve to look wounded.

She didn't buy it for a second. She knew him better than that. "Well then you sure took your sweet time _hurrying_. It's been almost three months! I'm sure most snails would have made better time than you."

"Well, I apologize then." He swept into a deep bow, his expression totally unrepentant. "I got a little sidetracked."

That gave her a moment's pause. "Sidetracked? For _three months_? By _what_?"

"An interesting person I met," he replied, indigo eyes gleaming with a light she hadn't seen there for a while. It was the look that told her he'd found a new obsession. Although…three months? For all the time she'd known him, Kaito had always both found interest and lost interest in people and things quickly. According to her father, he'd always been that way. As far as she could remember, his fascinations didn't usually last more than a week or two.

"And where might you have met this interesting person?" she prodded.

"On the train before it blew up. He's a detective."

"Oh, so it's a he is it?" Aoko blinked, slightly surprised. Kaito had never shown any inclination that way before. Not that that was particularly important, she mused. What _was_ important however was… "A detective?"

"Yep. Black hair, blue eyes, about this tall. You remember him, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"He got a bit banged up by the explosion so I patched him up and sent him back to town this morning. You know what, why don't you come with me next time I go to town. I'll introduce you."

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she demanded, concern creeping into her voice. "This guy's seen your face already. He might not have had a way to turn you in while you two were out in the middle of nowhere, but if you go looking for him…"

"He won't turn me in," Kaito replied with absolute certainty.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Don't you trust my judgment, Aoko?"

"I…" she started, then stopped, letting out a half exasperated half defeated sigh. Kaito was good at reading people. It was true that she had never known him to misjudge a person's character before. Still, it didn't stop her from feeling concerned. Wasn't it a friend's job to worry? "Oh I don't know why I bother anymore."

Kaito cocked an eyebrow at her then laughed. "Cheer up Aoko. Life is a game. It's only worth living if you're having fun, and you'll only have fun if you let yourself. So where's your father? I need to talk to him."

She nodded, the serious gleam in his eyes forestalling the other questions she might have liked to ask. "One moment." Turning, she scanned the rocky formations. Spotting a figure just making its way out of a nearby tent, she cupped her hands around her mouth. "Hey, Eisuke! Can you take my watch for me?"

The boy in question glanced up and waved to indicate he'd heard her.

Satisfied, she led Kaito into the little camp.

The people they passed all greeted them with smiles and a salute for Kaito. The master thief didn't insist on any kinds of formality from them as long as they all did their jobs, but the gesture was their own way of showing their respect for the man who had changed all their lives.

They found Ginzo Nakamori muttering over an open scroll with an irritated scowl on his face. "How the hell do they expect us to read this chicken scratch? Would it kill 'em to take an extra minute and make it legible?"

"The elder Hondos again?" Kaito inquired, amused. Ginzo's hatred for the two elder Hondos' handwriting was well known to everyone in camp. Because of it he had demanded that their son Eisuke be taught how to write by his old friend Sensui lest he be 'infected' by his parents' standards.

"Who else?" The man in question snorted before glancing up. "Oh, you're back. How did it go?"

"As planned for the most part. One hit and two misses. I've already written the letter for the Hakubas. I would like to have it delivered the day after tomorrow."

Ginzo nodded. "Suzuna and Sensui are both available."

"Send Suzuna. And Kenji, if he gets back in time. I want Sensui to deliver a message to Imura."

Aoko watched as her father jotted down a few notes as Kaito rattled off a string of other instructions. Even after all these years she still found it disconcerting whenever she was confronted again with the realization that Kaito, despite appearing to be her age, had actually been around a few years longer than her own father. He certainly didn't act like it most of the time. But there were those moments when she looked into his eyes and saw the hint of a soul who had seen more than she could ever hope to and knew more than anyone else she'd ever met. Sometimes it made her sad to think that he would always be a mystery, but it was just another of those facts of life you had to live with when you followed the Phantom.

X

"Everything appears to be in order," the doctor announced as he packed away his tools. "Whoever tended to your injuries knew what he was doing. You should probably try to keep the leg work down to a minimum for another few days but as long as you eat well and rest you should be good as new in no time."

"Can I at least take walks?" Shinichi asked, dismayed at the idea of yet more days of lying around.

"Oh, you should. Take short walks through the day. Just don't overdo it."

He nodded with a relieved smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Feel free to call me again if you have any questions."

The doctor took his leave and Hattori accompanied him out, leaving Shinichi alone with Ran. The girl had seated herself by the window as the doctor conducted his examination. Now she watched as Shinichi let out a sigh and flopped back onto his bed.

"Tired?" she asked.

One blue eye cracked open to blink at her. "Just a little," he admitted. "I'm sorry for holding us up…"

"Don't be," she advised, "you're not. Heiji and I have actually been getting a lot of jobs since we caught those robbers. Nothing big, but it's kind of nice to get to see more of the county. In fact, we've all been invited to a party being thrown by the Suzukis at the end of the week. And yes, you have to go," she added as she saw his mouth opening. "We already agreed for the three of us."

"You know I hate parties," he grumbled, disgruntled.

"You've been stuck out in the middle of nowhere for three months," she retorted. "Heiji and I just thought it would be good for you to get to know some of the people here since we're going to be staying for a while. A lot of people are going to be there and this is a good opportunity to make a good impression. So stop complaining. One party isn't going to kill you."

All she got in return was a muffled snort of disbelief. She frowned slightly. He wasn't acting any differently, but these last few days since he'd gotten back she'd had a nagging sensation that there was something…off. Quieter maybe? And she kept catching him looking out of the window with this almost wistful expression on his face that she'd never seen him wear before. It disappeared the moment he realized he was being watched however, and whenever she asked if something was wrong he would deny it. Then again, he'd never liked talking about his problems, so she didn't set much store by that. It worried her.

Hopefully it was just a side effect of his stint in the Oasis and it would pass once he'd fully recovered his strength.

**TBC**

**A.N**: And you're all invited to visit the DCMK site V and I put together. The gallery is now up as well ^_^

sites(dot)google(dot)com/site/phantomdestinies/home


	4. The Dance

Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

* * *

**Outlaw Hearts**

4: The Dance

The petals of the rose were a deep, velvet red, flawless and elegant under the sunlight. Shinichi turned it slowly over and over in his hands, noting that the thorns had been removed. He had found it lying on his windowsill that morning. He didn't have to think very hard to guess who had left it there. He wasn't sure whether he should be disturbed that the thief had snuck into his room some time during the night or disappointed that he'd missed a chance to talk to Kaito again.

"Where did that come from?"

Jerking around in surprise, he saw Ran standing in the doorway. He blushed and dropped the flower onto the desk in front of him like it was a hot coal.

"I just found it," he said hurriedly.

"Really?" Wandering over to the desk, she picked up the bloom in question. Its thorn-less state indicated that it wasn't wild. "Where?"

Shinichi stammered out some half coherent answer that she could tell immediately was a lie. He never had been good at lying. Had he actually bought the rose himself then? It didn't seem very likely. The only things Shinichi ever bought for himself were books. Sometimes she was sure he'd buy books instead of food if it weren't for the fact that he had to eat (a fact which he occasionally had to be reminded of when he got his hands on something particularly interesting to read or when they got more complex cases). A gift for someone else then? But he wasn't handling it like it was a gift. And, well, she knew from experience that books were also his first choice of gifts to give.

"So who gave it to you?" she asked, cutting off his continued attempt to ramble out an explanation. Shinichi turned even redder at her question as a brief look of panic flashed across his face before he replaced it with a forced laugh.

"I already told you, I just found it. I guess someone must have dropped it."

"In your room?" she prodded, eyebrows rising.

Shinichi opened his mouth then closed it again. He was saved from having to come up with something else to say however by Hattori's sudden arrival.

"Hurry up you two!" he exclaimed. "The Suzukis sent a carriage for us. The driver says it's pretty far so we gotta leave now or we'll be late. Oh, and don't forget to pack everything. I think we're getting rooms there too for the next few days. We can get new rooms at the inn over there."

X

The Suzuki family was one of the wealthiest on the grasslands, owning almost a third of all the land around Ekoda County with assets scattered throughout the rest of the grasslands to places as far away as Beika. It was the only daughter of the head of the family who had invited the Beika Detectives to the encroaching party. According to Ran, she had met the girl in question while Shinichi had been away when she had stumbled across a gang trying to kidnap her. Ran had put a stop to that with a few well placed kicks and punches and she and the girl, Sonoko, had become fast friends. It seemed a lot of things had happened while Shinichi had been away.

"Oh Ran!" the petit girl exclaimed when she greeted them as they got off the carriage. "I'm glad you guys made it. Come on, introduce me to your friends."

Ran smiled and waved at her two companions like someone introducing sights to a tourist. "You've already met Heiji, right? And this is Shinichi. He's the other person I work with that I told you about."

"The one that was missing?"

Ran nodded. "He just got back about a week and a half ago."

"I heard about that. Everyone was saying how it was incredible that he actually managed to survive in the Oasis so long."

Shinichi listened to the two chatter on about him like he wasn't there. It was kind of awkward. A glance at Heiji showed that his friend was feeling it too. Green eyes met his before they rolled heavenward as though asking for patience.

Finally Ran brought up the subject of the party's venue and Sonoko clapped her hands together as her eyes gleamed. "Oh it's going to be awesome! We just built this place. In fact, why don't you all come with me. I'll get someone to take your things inside for you and then I can give you the grand tour before the rest of the guests arrive."

The party was being held both in honor of Sonoko Suzuki's eighteenth birthday and to mark the grand opening of a vacation resort they had only just finished constructing on the banks of Lake Pearl, the largest lake within fifty miles of the Oasis. Sitting opposite the lake from Pearl Town, the complex sprawled like a village all in itself. For the celebration they had invited guests from all over the County and beyond, from nobles to famous craftsmen to scholars to merchants and various competition winners. It was exactly the kind of fluttery social function that Shinichi hated. They were always long, dull as anything, and on top of all that everyone always seemed so superficial to him as they vied with one another to make the best connections and impress their peers. He knew fundamentally that connections were important, but somehow that just made the things more irritating. He hated feeling like everyone was making small talk and being nice just because it could be useful in the future to have done so.

But it was rude to turn down invitations to such events, especially when they were offered by the hosts themselves, and he didn't want to be rude. He supposed he would enjoy the things more if he liked to do things like dance. But since he didn't, he had found himself a seat off to the side with a cup of coffee and a plate of assorted foods that had been forced on him by Ran and Heiji. Admittedly the food was pretty good, but he had no idea how they expected him to finish the heap of stuff they'd seen fit to pile on his plate. On the other hand, it gave him a great excuse for staying put.

Ran had been asked to dance by a well-mannered young man who turned out to be a doctor. She seemed to be having fun. Heiji too had disappeared, apparently having spotted a girl he said he'd met on the train.

Shinichi went back to picking at his plate as he kept one eye on the rest of the party. More and more people were beginning to gravitate to the dance floor as the musicians who had been invited to perform launched into a waltz.

The center of attention however was on the man who'd arrived late and his brunette partner dressed in her sweeping, wine red dress. They swept about the dance floor with the easy elegance of the truly talented and no one in the room had been able to take their eyes off them since they'd stepped out on the floor. The grace and energy in their steps reminded everyone present of why dancing was an art form. And the couple obviously knew they were good, Shinichi thought. You could see it in the way they held themselves and he occasional pause to pose for their audience.

Something nudged at his knee and Shinichi jumped in his seat. Leaning back, he looked under the table to see a pair of round, black eyes peering up at him from above a lolling tongue. The dog snuffled and whined, its furry face full of hope. Shinichi smiled and scratched it behind the ears. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he took what was left of the roasted ham on his plate and passed it down to his new acquaintance. It scarfed the offering in one happy go and wagged its tail so vigorously that its whole body shook.

"Looks like you enjoyed it more than I did," he said quietly, giving the dog a final pat on the head before nudging it off of where it had sat down on his feet. "Go on, I'm going to go and get some fresh air before Ran decides I have to dance or something."

X

Indigo eyes watched the detective make his way outside to stand by the veranda railing, watching the way the moonlight fell in soft folds around his slender frame. From this angle he could just see one brilliant, blue eye gazing out across the moonlit lake beyond to the tiny scattering of lights that marked out Pearl Town. It was those beautiful blue eyes that had caught his attention on the train—so bright and full of thoughts. Admittedly, then he hadn't thought much beyond the fact that he liked those eyes. He'd never had much interest in detectives and their kind. Their black and white worlds didn't interest him, though their collective skepticism was always good for a laugh. They were, however, decent fellows for the most part in their own way, and he didn't like seeing decent people get themselves killed. So he'd rescued the boy.

He had originally intended to return the boy to his friends and leave it at that, but he had been curious. So he'd brought the boy to one of the many hideouts he'd found over the years instead on a whim. All he'd wanted was to learn a bit more about the person behind those eyes. He hadn't intended to tell the boy as much as he had, and he certainly hadn't expected that they might grow to be friends, but they had. It had been a pleasant surprise (or at least it had for him. He got the distinct impression that Shinichi found the whole thing either confusing or disturbing or both). He'd found himself not wanting to let the detective go.

When those eyes looked at him, he felt as though it was really _him_ they were looking at. Not the Phantom or any of the many faces he had crafted for himself over the years but just _Kaito_ and however much or little of those faces was really a part of that. He couldn't remember the last time someone had been able to look at him like that.

Unexpected or not, he knew himself well enough to know when he liked something—or rather someone in this case.

He'd never had much self restraint when it came to things he wanted, but he'd realized after that first kiss that maybe Shinichi wasn't on the same page as he was. He'd been almost sure the other felt something for him, but it seemed he'd moved a little too fast. Not wanting to scare the detective, he'd backed off, but he fully intended to make Shinichi his one day.

How coincidental that he should find the detective now when he was so close to getting his time back. It had to be fate.

X

The night air was cold and sharp but refreshing. Closing his eyes, Shinichi inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the scent of green things and water. The main building of the resort had been built almost right up against the edge of the lake. It gave anyone who ventured out onto the veranda an unparalleled view across the lake's dark waters.

"Would you like some company?" a smooth voice asked from behind him. "You seem rather lonely over here all by yourself."

Shinichi glanced around to see the male half of the dance stars from earlier standing a few steps behind him, a glass of wine in one hand.

"I appreciate the thought," he replied with a shrug, "but I'm fine the way I am. I like the peace and quiet."

The stranger's lips quirked into an amused smile that seemed oddly familiar. "Indeed. Then may I intrude upon your peace and quiet? The view from this spot you've found is truly spectacular."

"It's not exactly my place to dictate who can stand here and who can't."

The stranger chuckled. "Perhaps not, but it would be rude of me to force my company on an unwilling soul."

"Well, I don't mind if you want to stand here too,"

"Good." The stranger stepped up to lean on the railing beside him, taking a sip from his glass. "The moon sure is beautiful tonight. They chose a good location for building this place. Though I must admit that I have always found the moon to be much brighter when you look at it from the Oasis."

Shinichi's brows furrowed as he watched the man out of the corner of his eyes. There was something in that voice…those words… And now that he was seeing the other's profile, there was definitely something familiar about him. In fact, the longer he looked, the more it almost seemed as though it was… Wait, was it possible? They _had_ said he was a master of disguises. The hair was smooth and neatly groomed as well as being a shade too light, and there were subtle differences in his features, but the look in those eyes as they gazed out onto the still waters of the lake…

He started in surprised realization. "Kai—"

The magician held up a hand to cut him off. "Shh, not so loud. What do you think the disguise is for?"

"But what are you doing here?"

Now the young man's smile shifted a fraction, growing sharper and more defined—more real, and suddenly the face was the one Shinichi remembered and he could see how the thief had applied hints of shadows and lights to distract the eyes of others from his real features. They were anything but obvious, just little things here and there, but the effect they had together was astounding. Straightening from where he had been leaning on the railing, he set his glass down on its wide, wooden top and stepped closer to Shinichi, leaning in until their noses were almost touching. "Didn't I tell you I'd be seeing you again?"

Shinichi could feel the heat rising in his face as he leaned back as best he could, pinned as he was between the thief and the rails (if he leaned back much further he'd fall into the lake). That fluttery, nervous yet anticipatory feeling he'd almost forgotten about but which had become all too familiar the last time he'd been in the thief's company raced through him.

"But how did you get in?" he asked quickly as he fought to get his expression under control.

"As a matter of fact, I'm on the guest list." He stepped back and swept into a deep bow. "My name is Kuro Taoki, renowned musician of Ekoda County. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Shinichi blinked. He'd heard that name before. "Wait… Taoki… As in the guy they're calling the rising star of the Ekoda music world?"

"Ah, so you've heard of me. I am honored."

"So that's been you the whole time?"

The thief winked. "That's right. I have to do something when I'm not working, right?"

With the thief no longer leaning over him, Shinichi breathed a sigh of relief and went back to studying his face. "So are you working now?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"Then no, I am not." He quirked an eyebrow at the detective. "Satisfied?"

Shinichi huffed and turned back to face the lake. "I just didn't feel like working today."

"Really?" Even without turning to look, he could hear the smirk in the thief's voice. "And here I thought you'd be happy I came to see you."

"Why would I be happy about that?" he retorted, though he could feel the heat rising in his face again. Because he really _was_ kind of glad. He had missed the magician's company even though he knew he shouldn't. It was stupid to get attached to an outlaw, even one who seemed decent.

Instead of answering, Kaito asked a question of his own. "Would you like to go riding?"

Shinichi blinked, thoughts abruptly derailed. "Riding?"

The thief chuckled. "Well, I certainly didn't come on foot. My horse is in the resort stables. There's quite a good stretch of open land out back. Miles and miles of nothing but grass and gentle hills. So? How about it?"

"I…guess I wouldn't mind," Shinichi heard his mouth say even though he hadn't been on a horse since he'd broken his arm falling off one four years ago.

"Excellent!" Kaito beamed.

A strong arm draped itself around his shoulders and steered him back inside and through the party still rolling on and outside again through the main doors. In no time at all they had reached the stables and Shinichi was being introduced to a rather noble looking steed with a pale gray coat that gleamed almost silver as Kaito led it out under the moonlight.

"There has to be something wrong with me," Shinichi said later as they sped across the open, grassy plane with the wind whipping into their faces and the moon painting everything around them in shades of pearl and silver.

"And why would you say that?" Kaito asked, sounding honestly puzzled. "Is it the wind? It is a bit strong tonight. Would you like to head back?"

"No, no, it's not that… It's just…I'm glad you came." The last words were muttered into the back of the thief's coat but his keen hearing caught them anyway and they made him smile a softer smile to himself where no one could see.

"For what it's worth," he replied, his own voice carried back to Shinichi by the wind rushing past them, "I missed you too."

**TBC**


	5. The Dream

Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

* * *

**Outlaw Hearts**

5: The Dream

"Hey Heiji, have you seen Shinichi?"

The dark-skinned detective glanced up from the game of solitaire he'd been playing in one of the Suzuki resort's many plush lounges. "I haven't seen him since yesterday actually. He was out already when I went to pick him up for breakfast this morning."

"He was up before breakfast?" Ran asked in surprise. "That's…really unusual."

"Tell me about it. I mean, I thought he'd be sulking and complaining about getting back home and to work by now, but he hasn't said a word about it. Instead he actually seems to be liking this place."

"Yeah, I noticed that too."

"And you know what else is kinda weird?" he mused. "I was in his room last night talking, and you know what was sitting on the nightstand? It was this vase, one of the really simple ones from town, and it had like nineteen roses in it."

"That's rather exact."

"I counted 'cause I thought it was strange," he admitted. "I never thought he'd be the kind of person who bought that sort of thing—usually it's all about books, but he must have since no one else's room has roses as part of the décor."

"Well actually, I was thinking that someone might be giving them to him," Ran said slowly. "I mean, you said there were nineteen? That would be one for every day we've been here, plus the one he got the morning we were picked up from the inn."

Heiji let out a snort of laughter. "Who'd give _Shinichi_ roses?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I thought maybe an admirer, but roses seem like a bit of a strange choice."

"They could always be sending 'em to the wrong room," Heiji suggested, snickering.

"I don't think so. I mean, he got a vase for them. If they weren't for him I'm sure he would have corrected the situation by now."

"Yeah, you're right," he consented, then frowned. "But then what're you suggesting?"

"I'm not sure. It's just that… Well, he's been gone a lot lately, and when I do see him he seems…how should I put this? He seems really happy. I don't think I've ever seen him like this before."

They both fell silent then, lost in their own contemplations.

"Well," Heiji said finally. "I guess that means there's nothing to worry about. So I was going to go fishing later with Kazuha and her father. Do you want to come with?"

"No, I already agreed to go into town with Sonoko. We'll probably be there all day."

X

Shinichi knew now that he was definitely in trouble. He couldn't fight it anymore.

It had finally sunk in when he'd found himself lying in bed every night and staring at the roses in their vase and remembering a pair of indigo eyes and that bright, confident grin, looking forward to seeing them again.

All the guests of the resort's grand opening had been given their own rooms and an invitation to stay as long as they wanted (the Suzukis didn't do things by halves). With no clients to tend to at the moment and under the insistence of Suzuki Sonoko, Shinichi and his companions had taken up their offer of hospitality for the time being as had many of the other guests. Guests who included the musician Kuro Taoki, known to a select few as Kaito Kuroba. Ever since they had met again at the party on opening day the thief had made a point of finding him every day, taking them to different events and showing him around Pearl Town, which he claimed to have known since it had still been only a little village. He was just as quick-witted and charismatic as Shinichi remembered.

Sometimes Shinichi wondered what he was doing. Why did he continue to go along with the thief's whims? There were a hundred reasons why this was stupid. But every time Kaito's hand closed over his he found he couldn't remember any of them. And every time they parted ways and Kaito bid him good night and gave him a rose, he would wish the thief would stay longer. Lately he'd even caught himself wondering if Kaito would kiss him again…and maybe hoping that he would.

He hadn't wanted to admit it, but he couldn't deny it anymore.

He was falling in love.

It was a terrifying realization.

"What's on your mind?" the subject of his contemplations inquired, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Fighting the urge to blush, Shinichi shook his head quickly. "No, no, it's nothing."

Kaito waited a moment then shrugged. "Well, if you say so. We're here by the way."

He looked up at the building Kaito had led them to and wrinkled his nose. "It's a tavern."

"That it is," Kaito agreed. "But it's also a great restaurant. It's clean and hygienic too so you don't have to look so worried."

"A tavern with good food? That's a first," the detective muttered, but he let his companion steer him inside anyway.

The thief chuckled. "Believe me, I was pretty surprised too, but it just goes to show that old saying about not judging a book by its covers is true."

The two of them found a small table near the door. The common room was packed and the aroma drifting through the air really was mouthwatering. Everyone really did appear to be here for lunch, Shinichi noted. It seemed Kaito wasn't the only one who thought their food was good.

"So what do you recommend then?" he asked, squinting at the menu on the wall.

"The pot pie is good, as is just about everything with the word 'grill' in the title. If you're not very hungry, the vegetable soup is decent and comes with fresh bread from the bakery next door. There's also the potato pasta—I know it sounds weird but I really think everyone who comes here should try that at least once."

"All right, I'll try that then. Then I'll know if I should ever eat anything else you recommend."

"You wound me! I'll have you know I've judged a few cooking contests in my day."

"Really? What, have you been a chef too?"

"Er, well, no, I must admit that I am somewhat lacking in the culinary department, but I do have good taste."

"What tastes good to one person doesn't always taste good to someone else."

"Fair enough," the thief conceded, lips quirking in amusement. "Would you like some wine to go with your pasta?"

"I don't like alcoholic drinks," he said flatly. "I prefer to keep a clear head." And the things brought up bad memories of his first major case. The gang he, Ran, and Heiji had dealt with then had enjoyed naming themselves after said drinks.

Indigo eyes studied the detective's face for a moment, picking up on the shadows that had crept across his features. "In that case, what about the Citrus Special? It's a fruit juice blend that's been really popular since it was introduced five years ago."

Shinichi relaxed. "Sounds interesting."

It was strange, he thought as he watched the thief leave in search of the tavern keeper so that he could place their orders, how the man could seem so normal sometimes yet so mysterious the next. There was the face of the thief, who was all sharp edges and cunning arrogance, and the face of this 'musician', cheerful and open. Then there was the face that Shinichi had seen briefly on the train then for moments at a time while they had been in the Oasis. He couldn't quite describe that one. It lay somewhere between the others yet somehow managed to be more than the rest combined. He glimpsed it mostly when they were alone. It was the face he was beginning to think of as simply Kaito. It was confident and charming and cunning like the others, but it was also a little distant, like he was watching the rest of the world from the other side of a window—all knowing, sometimes laughing, sometimes using, sometimes judging, but always a step away.

It made Shinichi wonder if maybe he was just a little lonely for all his devil-may-care attitude. And he would inevitably find himself wishing that he could make that look go away.

Yep, there was no doubt about it, he had already lost the battle.

X

They had just finished their meal and were settling in to a conversation about the new train being constructed to replace the Raven Express when a high pitched scream made everyone in the tavern freeze. A split second later a large man barreled out of one of the back rooms and crashed through the crowded common room. A richly dressed lady stumbled out of the door he had just exited a moment later, one pale hand raised so that everyone could see the streaks of dark red on her skin. "He stabbed Miguel and took my purse!" she cried out.

Her exclamation sent the room into an uproar. Half the tavern's patrons stared in horror at the blood on her clothes, though judging from her vigorous cries it probably belonged to her injured companion and not her. Several others ran into the back room past her to see what could be done for the stab victim. Still others made to chase after the robber. Having been seated near the door, Shinichi reached automatically to bolt said doors before the robber could get out, but the man saw what he was up to and threw himself forward, all but falling through the doors before they could be blocked.

Shinichi ran after him but the robber had a head start and considerably longer legs. As they rounded the corner however, he saw a familiar figure perusing a handmade jewelry stand by the side of the street.

"Ran!" he called out.

The girl in question spun at the sound of her name. Her eyes instantly focused on the robber running towards her. Taking a quick step to her left, she planted herself squarely in his path. The man did a double take but, seeing that it was a girl a whole head and a half shorter than him, kept running. He was quickly informed of this bad decision however as her fist met his face with a sickening crunch that announced to everyone in the vicinity that the man's nose had broken. The robber staggered back from the sheer force of the blow and collapsed, out cold.

Kaito let out a low whistle from where he stood just behind Shinichi. "Man, do all your friends punch that hard?"

"No," Shinichi replied absently. "Just Ran."

"That's good to know."

He cast the thief a sidelong look. "Why? Are you planning on giving them reason to want to punch you?"

"Of course not, but it's good to be forewarned just in case. I know it's hard to believe, but some people don't like me very much."

"You say that like it really should be surprising," Shinichi remarked, amused.

"Isn't it?" Kaito asked back with an air of honest confusion that would have been convincing if Shinichi hadn't caught the spark of laughter in his eyes.

"Shinichi!"

They both turned at the cry to see Ran striding up to them. Behind her a couple law enforcement officers had been called to take the unconscious robber away.

"Ran," the detective returned as she came to a stop before them. "I didn't know you'd be coming into town today."

"That's because you didn't ask," she replied with a hint of exasperation before her gaze turned to Kaito. "So who's your friend?"

"Kuro Taoki," Kaito replied before Shinichi could introduce him, sweeping her a bow with a charming smile. "I have been showing Shinichi here around the town. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Mouri."

"Oh, so you're the musician," she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up abruptly. "Sonoko's mentioned you. She says you've written almost all of her favorite songs."

"I'm flattered. It is always uplifting to hear that my works have been well received."

"Everyone I know loves your music. I mean, I'm actually from Beika, and even there I hear your work a lot. Why didn't you tell me you'd met, Shinichi?" she demanded, rounding on her friend again.

The detective in question shifted nervously where he stood. The truth was, it hadn't even crossed his mind to say anything about it, all considered he knew the musician was really the Phantom. He hadn't thought they'd want to meet each other (and maybe he'd been a little worried about what might happen if they did). "I…didn't know you'd want to know."

"Of course I would!" Ran heaved a sigh of exasperation then smiled. "Well, at least now I know who you've been spending all your time with. I was getting a bit worried there you know."

He looked away, trying not to fidget. "I'm sorry." Would she say the same if she knew the truth? …Probably not.

But…well, maybe one day she would.

"We should all have dinner together," Ran continued. "If you have time, of course," she added, gaze turning back to Kaito.

Kaito beamed. "It would be my pleasure."

"Perfect. I'll see you two at that lakeside grill place at six then."

After Ran had bid them farewell and left to find Sonoko again, Shinichi turned to his companion with a faint frown. "Are you sure you want to eat dinner with the others?"

"I don't see why not. I can't meet your family obviously, I might as well meet your friends. Unless you don't want me to?" Indigo eyes met his with a question in them that didn't feel like the one he was voicing.

"It's not that," he said, eyes darting around to check if anyone might be listening to them. "It's just…are you sure it would be a good idea? We're all detectives you know."

"Aww, are you worried about me?" Not waiting for an answer, he wrapped an arm around Shinichi's shoulders and began to direct them down the street in the opposite direction from the one Ran had taken. "Don't worry. I wouldn't be here if I couldn't handle something as simple as dinner with detectives."

"On your head be it then," Shinichi grumbled.

In the end however it seemed Kaito had been right. Not, Shinichi thought a bit ruefully, that that should be all that surprising anymore. It took the thief what appeared to be no effort at all to have both Ran and Heiji talking and laughing with him like they were all old friends. Seeing them all get along so well was surreal in every sense of the word. But in a good way. It made Shinichi feel like maybe this wasn't such a terrible idea to be feeling this way. If they could all sit around this table now and laugh like this, then maybe it could work out after all.

That night, when Kaito presented him with another red rose, Shinichi caught his arm before he could leave.

Kaito quirked a curious eyebrow at him. "Yes?"

"Um… Do you want to come in?" he asked hesitantly. "I have tea."

Indigo eyes studied his face for a moment before smiling. "Tea sounds good."

So they had tea at the small table in Shinichi's room. And when Kaito finally took his leave, he did so only after placing a soft kiss on Shinichi's lips. And this time the detective kissed back.

X

"Don't you think it's strange that Shinichi's spending so much time with Mister Taoki?"

Hattori took a moment to eat some of the pork chops he'd ordered for lunch before answering. "You mean other than the fact that it's strange that he's actually made a friend without help and is willingly being social for once instead of holing up at the local bookstore? Not really."

She shot him an exasperated look. "Honestly, you can't say you haven't noticed."

He gave her a blank look. "Noticed what?"

She rolled her eyes. "Everything!"

"Great explanation there, Ran. Makes perfect sense. Leaves me with no questions whatsoever."

"Oh come on, I'm talking about how he's being so quiet—"

"He's always like that."

"This is different. He's been smiling a lot more, and he's always distracted when he's with us, even when we go out on jobs. He just seems really…I don't know, happy?"

"…That's a good thing."

"I didn't say it was a bad thing," Ran pointed out. "It's just odd. It's almost like…"

"Yeah?" Heiji prompted when she trailed off.

"It's jus he's kind of acting like someone who's in love."

Heiji couldn't suppress the snort of laughter that suggestion elicited from him. The closest thing to being in love that he could remember Shinichi ever being was with that book he used to carry with him _everywhere_. He'd read that one so many times that one year after he'd gotten it the book had literally fallen apart. Heiji could still remember how devastated he'd been over that. It would have been hilarious if Shinichi hadn't been so honestly upset. As it was he and Ran had run down to the store that very evening and bought him a replacement. They'd come back to find Shinichi carefully putting his book back together (or trying to at any rate). In the end they'd convinced him to accept their replacement as a gift, but he knew Shinichi still had the decrepit copy tucked away in a box under his bed.

"And what's so unbelievable about that?" Ran demanded, correctly interpreting his laughter.

"Come on, this is _Shinichi_ we're talking about. He's got to be the least romantic person I know."

"That doesn't mean he can't fall in love."

"He's never liked anyone before."

"Everyone has to start somewhere."

"You're really into this idea aren't you?"

"I'm just telling you what I've been seeing. It's not my fault if you've been too wrapped up in spending time with Miss Kazuha to notice for yourself."

Heiji coughed, suddenly very interested in his food. "Er, well, I still think you're over thinking things."

Ran made a noncommittal noise but finally let the subject drop.

X

Life at the lake had calmed as most of the party guests had drifted home by now. New guests were always trickling in however as the place officially opened to customers. Shinichi and company had also started taking odd jobs around the town during the day. The time he didn't spend working with Ran and Heiji, he spent with Kaito, who had been 'inspired by the beautiful local scenery to write a few new pieces' which Lady Sonoko was already squealing over. Shinichi had discovered a liking for just sitting on one of the armchairs in the room where the resort's grand piano stood and listening to Kaito fiddling with his tunes while he read a book from the complex's small library. And when Kaito decided to call it a day, they would have dinner together. Sometimes they would take tea in one or the other of their rooms afterward. And when they parted Kaito would give him another rose to add to the vase in his room, only now it also came with a kiss.

Today Kaito had excused himself right after dinner, saying he wished to fetch something. Shinichi had returned to his own room for the time being. Now he lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. He couldn't remember ever feeling this happy. It was weird, because he didn't think he'd been unhappy before. He'd been content with life the way it had been. But now it struck him that maybe that wasn't the same as being happy. This warm, buzzing, bubbly feeling… It made him feel giddy and want to smile. He knew Ran was giving him strange looks, but he couldn't explain it. He had heard many people say that love wasn't logical, but he'd never understood it until now.

The door swung open suddenly and Shinichi shot bolt upright on the bed in alarm. Then he saw who it was and groaned, flopping back onto the covers.

"Can't you at least knock before letting yourself in to other people's rooms?"

Kaito raised one elegant eyebrow. "What kind of self respecting thief knocks first?"

"One who doesn't want to give the person he's visiting a heart attack?" Shinichi suggested.

"My apologies if I startled you. But I did not come empty handed." With a flourish he produced a tall, dark, glass bottle.

"It's cider," he explained. "Enhanced with a special blend of spices courtesy of the Moonside Orchards where it was brewed. They don't sell these to just anyone you know."

"And of course you happen to be one of them," Shinichi surmised, sitting up and watching as Kaito pulled the table closer to the bed so they could both sit on it before making two glasses appear with a snap of his fingers. "Let me guess, the owner's been a big fan of your work ever since you visited there a few years ago and sends you a bottle every year."

Kaito blinked. "Wow, how did you know?"

Blue eyes stared back at him blankly. "You mean I was right?"

"Pretty much, though they send me three bottles every year, not one. I sent the other two back to my dear assistants."

"That was thoughtful of you."

Kaito shrugged. "It's only fair. Good help doesn't grow on trees."

"You really care about them, don't you?" Shinichi asked, observing the way the other's smile had softened.

Kaito's eyes were serious when they met his. "They are the closest thing I can have to family."

Shinichi nodded slowly, looking away. "Shouldn't you be getting back to them then? It's been over a month."

"Aw, are you trying to get rid of me? And here I thought things were going well between us."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "I was just asking. I mean, I wouldn't be too happy if my boss kept disappearing for months on end."

The thief chuckled. "No need to worry there, my dear detective. They know what they're supposed to do when I'm not around."

"I see." Shinichi paused, then shook his head, a faint smile of amusement on his face. "It's interesting. Most of the outlaws I've met usually look on their own allies with more wariness than the law."

"Probably because they know their allies are most likely just like them. Just out for themselves and all that."

"I guess so… I suppose you're also saying then that you aren't like them."

"I would like to think I am only like myself," the thief replied, adopting a lofty air before turning to wink at the detective. "I've never been much for blending in."

Shinichi blinked, then laughed. "That's certainly true."

"You should do that more often."

Shinichi tilted his head to one side as his brows knit in confusion. "What?"

"Laugh," Kaito explained, absently reaching over to tuck some of Shinichi's hair behind his ear. "You don't laugh much. Laughter is good for the soul you know. It is the remedy to many an ailment."

"That may be true, but I doubt that includes laughing for no reason."

"I'm not saying you should laugh for no reason—crazy people do that. I'm just saying maybe you should find more reasons to laugh."

"And what if I just don't feel like laughing?" Shinichi countered.

The thief set his now empty glass on the table before taking Shinichi's glass and setting it down as well. Puzzled, the detective waited and watched as Kaito turned back to face him. His expression was so serious that Shinichi found himself wondering if he'd said something wrong. Then suddenly Kaito's face broke out into a wide, mischievous grin.

"I can help with that," he declared as he pounced. Shinichi let out a yelp of surprise which turned into a garbled laugh.

"H—hey!"

"Oh good, you _are_ ticklish," the thief laughed, redoubling his efforts. "Goochie goo~."

"Tha—that's cheating!" Shinichi managed to protest between fits of irrepressible giggles. The thief only laughed. He tried to wiggle out of Kaito's grasp but the other only tightened his hold and shifted his weight to better trap his fleeing victim. The room rang with mixed laughter and protests and it was a really good thing that the table where they had placed the cider bottle and glasses was sturdy because the few accidental kicks it had received would surely have sent them to the floor otherwise. As it was they just wobbled and clinked as though to join in the laughter. By now Shinichi's eyes were actually beginning to water.

Suddenly the tickling assault stopped and Kaito backed off.

Gasping to catch his breath as the tickle-induced laughing fit died down, Shinichi found himself looking up into deep, indigo eyes from where he'd wound up sprawled on the rapidly rumpling covers. He felt warm and giddy and he couldn't seem to stop smiling. He'd never felt like this before.

"I—better go," Kaito said, his voice sounding slightly hoarse.

"Wait," The word slipped out of Shinichi's mouth before he could think about it and he flushed as Kaito's gaze met his. They were sitting now, face to face. "You don't have to go. I… I want you to stay." And he didn't mean just now or here, though he wasn't quite ready to admit that out loud yet.

"Are you sure about that?" the thief inquired, his tone teasing but his expression serious. "There won't be any turning back."

"I know." Blushing but determined, Shinichi slid his arms around the other's neck and pulled him down into a tentative kiss. The magician smiled, gently taking control of the kiss and deepening it. The cynical part of Shinichi's mind wondered what would happen in the future once Kaito had gotten what he wanted (while another, louder part argued that Kaito wasn't like that), but he didn't want to think about that right now. The thought sent a pang through him he didn't want to ponder too deeply until he had to.

For now all that mattered were the hands trailing fire across his skin and the burn of indigo eyes that made him shiver and want to melt all at once.

He felt a twinge of nervousness as a firm hand slid down to his hip, but it melted away in the face of desire and Kaito's steady, mesmerizing gaze.

X

Shinichi woke to the red glow of sunlight shining through his eyelids. Wrinkling his nose, he turned his face into his pillow to get away from it. His brows furrowed slightly at the unfamiliar signals he was getting from his surroundings.

He appeared to be curled up against a warm, solid something—that was breathing. He suffered a moment of shocked panic as his eyes flew open. Then he remembered where he was and what had happened (at which point he blushed and closed his eyes again). A quiet laugh that he felt more than heard made him look up again into a pair of amused, indigo eyes.

"For a moment there I thought maybe you were going to scream," the thief observed.

"Why would I do that?" Shinichi grumbled, a bit miffed by the suggestion. "I was the one who said you could stay." Although admittedly he hadn't been sure how literally or figuratively his request had been taken.

Indigo eyes grew concerned and a touch perplexed. "Why are you looking at me like that? You're not hurt, are you?"

Shinichi almost smiled at the thief's worried tone as he shook his head. "No. I just…wasn't sure if you'd stay."

Indigo eyes softened as a warm hand cupped the side of his face. "I'm not going anywhere. You can't get rid of me that easily."

Now he did smile. "I'm glad."

X

The following days were like a beautiful dream. But like all dreams, it had to come to an end.

They were having tea on the balcony attached to Kaito's room when a bird spiraled down from the empty sky and landed on the table beside the thief's cup. It cooed as it tilted its head up to look at him and stuck out its leg. That was when Shinichi noticed that there was a tiny roll of paper attached to said leg.

Kaito hummed as he gently detached the paper and offered the bird a grape from the bowl on the table. The bird accepted eagerly before taking off again. Shinichi watched it go before turning curious eyes to his companion.

"Don't you need it to send a reply?"

The thief flashed a grin at him as he unrolled the paper. "He'll come back if I call."

"Is it from a friend of yours?"

"Yep. It looks like this one's from Ginzo…" He trailed off as his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Is something wrong?"

It took a few moments for Kaito to respond. When he did, it was with a faint sigh as he let the message snap back into a roll. "No, it's just a report. It seems my scouts have located three more likely stones for me."

"You're leaving, aren't you?"

Indigo eyes turned to the detective. Shinichi was looking away from him towards the gardens sprawled out beneath the balcony. Letting out a silent breath, Kaito flicked the rolled message up into the air where it burst into flames and was carried away by the wind in ashes. Then he reached across the table and wrapped his hands around Shinichi's where they were toying with his teacup. "I'll be back. I promise."

Shinichi held the thief's gaze for a long moment before he looked away. "You don't have to make promises."

"I don't make promises I don't intend to keep, Shinichi."

Most people didn't, Shinichi mused. The future, however, was a frighteningly unpredictable creature. But whatever happened, he had already decided not to regret the choices he'd made here.

He looked up and met Kaito's waiting gaze. "Just be careful. And good luck."

**TBC**

* * *

**A.N: **On another random note, the next chapter for Travelers is actually getting close to being done! Anyhow, see you next time!


	6. The Hope

Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

* * *

**Outlaw Hearts**

6: The Hope

"All misses," Kaito muttered to himself as he crossed off three more names from his mental list of gemstones.

"Aoko," he called as he picked up his pace, coming up to the edge of one of the many fires scattered around the campsite. His customary smile slipped back onto his face as she stood to greet him. "So do you have it?"

"We were only able to get the necessary information for four of the stones you wanted," she replied, pulling a tightly rolled scroll out of her satchel and handing it to him. "We're still working on the rest."

"Well, that should be enough to be getting along with," he replied, undoing the twine keeping the scroll shut and skimming over its contents. "Thank you."

"Is…something wrong?"

"Not that I am aware of. Why do you ask?"

"You seem to be in a lot more of a hurry these days is all," she observed.

"Well, there's only two pieces left. You can't blame me for being a bit excited."

"No, I guess not," she agreed. "But I think it's more than that." She paused again to watch him for a reaction but he only grinned and laughed.

"I need to check a few things," he announced, letting the scroll snap shut. "Have a good evening, ladies."

"I don't get it," Keiko piped up as she watched Kaito's retreating back. "He's usually so laid back. Now he schedules four heists in two weeks? It's crazy! And he gave back the last couple stones just like that."

"He does that a lot though," Aoko countered. "You know he only asks for something in return if he really thinks we need it. He doesn't like the idea of us relying on something like that."

"Yeah, but he didn't even send notes with them, and he always sends notes."

"I think it might have something to do with that detective he was talking about before. You know, the one he was with those three months he was away," she said, resuming her seat by the small fire. "I saw them together several times while we were at the Lake Pearl resort."

"Really?" the other girl leaned forward eagerly. "Do you think maybe he's finally fallen in love?"

The last member of their little campfire ring choked and spat out the mouthful of water she'd been drinking. "_How_ did you even come up with _that_?"

Keiko blinked back at her, nonplussed. "It's just the only thing I could think of that might make him want to hurry. You know, if he can't get his time back, he'll have to watch the rest of us grow old and pass on into the afterlife without him. So it seems to me the best reason for wanting to hurry would be if there's someone he wouldn't want to lose. Not just someone he cares for like he cares about us, but someone he really loves."

"That's ridiculous," the other girl scoffed.

"Oh come on Suzuna," Keiko huffed. "What's so ridiculous about that?"

"It just is."

"I don't know…" Aoko said slowly. "Maybe it isn't. After all, I'm pretty sure he had us go to the Suzuki place to see him."

There was a long moment of silence as the other two digested this.

"I don't like it," Suzuna stated, her eyes narrowing. "It's probably a trap."

"I don't think so." Aoko fiddled with the hem of her shirt as she thought. Truth be told she still wasn't all that comfortable with the idea either, but she also knew Kaito was just about impossible to fool. He could read most people like open books. "They both looked…I don't know how to describe it exactly, but they both seemed really happy whenever I saw them."

"Ugh, I can't believe you two." Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Suzuna got to her feet and picked up her plate. "I'm outta here."

Aoko watched the other girl make her way towards the main campfire with a slight frown. "She seems to be in a rather foul mood today."

"I think she's just jealous," Keiko replied with a shrug. "She used to have that look whenever she saw you too."

"Me?" Aoko repeated in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"But why?"

"Well, we all know you and Kaito have known each other for practically forever, your parents being old companions of his and all. He talks to you and your dad more than any of the rest of us, and you're always the one he chooses to go with him when he needs a partner to do something. Like with this whole resort venture."

"I guess…" She cast a thoughtful look in the direction in which Suzuna had gone. "I knew she had a crush on him, I'm pretty sure that's why she stayed after we rescued her from the Oasis, but I thought she got over it when she and Kenji got together. Did they have a fight?"

"Not that I know of. But it must be hard for her to swallow having a stranger show up out of nowhere and catch Kaito's attention just like that when she tried for years without being noticed."

"That's not true. Kaito noticed, he just didn't want to encourage her."

"I know, and I think she does too. I'm pretty sure that just ticks her off more." The pig-tailed girl let out a quiet sigh. "It's kind of hard sometimes, you know, being out here all the time away from people. I mean, it's exciting too, but sometimes I just kind of wish that life could be normal for a while. I know I shouldn't be saying this…but sometimes I feel like… I don't know, lonely, I guess, when I'm in town and I know that I can't tell anyone who I really am—what I really do."

"Are you…thinking about leaving?" Aoko asked hesitantly, feeling a sudden wave of anxiety. It wasn't that no one ever left. People came and went every now and then. Some of them had to retire, some of them just got tired. Now that she thought about it, it was the ones like her whose families were here who tended to stay. But she had known Keiko for almost seven years now. And there weren't all that many of them her own age. She didn't really want to have to say goodbye.

"I guess I do think about it sometimes," Keiko admitted, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers. "But don't worry," she added with a knowing smile. "It won't be anytime soon. Maybe if I meet someone in one of the towns that I really like. Besides, Kaito's getting so close to actually completing his quest. I'd still be slaving away for that tyrant of an uncle if he hadn't helped me out. I'd like to be able to do something worthwhile for him too. I'd miss you all way too much if I left now anyway."

Aoko smiled at that, feeling both happy and more than a little relieved. "I'm glad to know you like us, but are you saying you'll miss us less if you left a few years later?"

Keiko laughed. "You never know. Maybe we'll have a big fight and you'll never want to see me again."

"That'll never happen," she replied firmly. They both shared a laugh at that.

"Haven't you ever thought of finding someone and settling down though?" Keiko asked, deciding it was time for a lighter mood.

Her friend's eyes darkened a shade however as she looked away. "It…did cross my mind once, I guess, but after that whole thing two years ago…"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Keiko apologized, her expression guilt-stricken. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"No, it's all right. It was a misjudgment on my part."

"No it wasn't! Don't even think that. It was that jerk's fault for being so stupid. If he really cared about you, he should have at least let you explain."

"Maybe…"

"There's no maybe about it. Now stop talking like that. So tell me what you did at Lake Pearl. It sounds like you weren't with Kaito much. So what happened? Did you meet anyone interesting?"

Happy enough with the change of topic, Aoko launched into a description of the Suzukis' new project.

Later, as she was headed back to her tent to sleep, she caught sight of Kaito sitting up on one of the rocky ledges looking out across the Oasis. He always did seem to like high places. Thinking back, her earliest memories were all of looking up at him—looking up at him when he'd given her a flower when she'd still been a child, looking up at him as he swung up into the saddle before giving her father some last instructions and riding off somewhere, looking up at him as he pulled her around a makeshift dance floor in an attempt to teach her how to dance… But most of the time it was like now, looking up at him as he sat or stood somewhere, gazing up at the night sky with that expression that no one could read.

At moments like those he always seemed…too far away, was the best way she could think of to describe it. He was the director of the play that was their lives, the one who could see everything, but he wasn't part of the cast. He knew things they didn't, and none of them had ever been able to fathom his thoughts.

She wondered sometimes if it was lonely up there.

Yet she had never been able to bring herself to approach him when he was like this. It never felt right. And she knew that if she tried she would find only that same, cheerful grin she met every other time, nothing more and nothing less.

Shaking her head to herself, she resumed the journey to her tent.

If he really had found someone who could step into that world of his, then she wished him the best of luck.

X

"Shinichi, stop moping and eat your sandwich before it gets cold!"

"I am not moping," the detective in question retorted, sounding slightly offended. "And sandwiches taste practically the same whether they're hot or cold."

Ran rolled her eyes. "You only say that because you never eat them fast enough to know the difference. Now eat."

Shinichi huffed a little but obeyed. On the other side of the table, Heiji snickered into his mug. Eating with that disgruntled pout on his face, his friend looked like a child who'd been ordered to finish his veggies. And standing over him with her arms folded, Ran looked every bit the irate mother. His laughter earned him a glare from the blue-eyed detective and a kick under the table, but it was worth it.

Ran was right though, he reflected as he watched Shinichi slowly nibbling away at his sandwich at a speed that suggested it would take him a little over a year to finish it. Shinichi had been acting a little odd lately. Less focused. He always seemed to have something else on his mind. He'd also gone back to spending long hours reading, which would have been more of a return to normalcy than anything else if it hadn't been for the way he sometimes spent several minutes staring at the same page like he wasn't seeing it at all.

Maybe he was bored, Heiji thought. After all, there hadn't been much to challenge any of them in the thinking department lately. Most of the jobs they'd been handling recently revolved around simple problem solving, everything from faulty irrigation lines to disappearing animals. The most interesting had to be the one man who's cow had discovered a way to open the pasture gate in order to go eat the vegetables in the neighboring farm. And that said a lot about what they had been doing lately. While some of the incidents were funny, they weren't exactly what one would call thought provoking.

Well, if boredom was the problem, he had a pretty good solution now. It had arrived via messenger only that morning.

Heiji cleared his throat, drawing his two companions' attention towards him. "I heard the Phantom's next heist is going to be pretty near here. You two think you're up for another shot at catching him?"

To his surprise, it was Ran who answered him. "Another one? He's sure getting active. Didn't he just take two stones over in one of the western border towns?"

"Yep. It's starting to make the sheriff pretty antsy."

"But didn't he give them both back?" Shinichi asked.

Something about his tone made Heiji frown. "Well, yeah, but you never know when he might change his mind. Anyway, his next target's currently on display in a gallery in the next town over from here. The place is sponsored by a lot of the local nobility, so Lady Suzuki asked if we'd lend 'em a hand."

"Would that local nobility include that Hakuba fellow from last time?" Ran asked a touch dubiously. "Because if it's going to be like that…"

"Unfortunately, it does, but the place isn't owned by the family or anything, so I doubt it would be a repeat of last time. From what I've heard, this time the operation's being organized entirely by proper law enforcement."

"Sounds to me like they have it covered then," Shinichi muttered, taking another halfhearted bite of his sandwich.

"Come on, aren't you the least bit interested?" the dark-skinned detective asked. "I thought you'd be jumping at the chance to do something different."

Shinichi blinked. "I…guess."

"He does seem like one strange thief," Ran mused. "The more we hear about the things he does, the more it feels like he's just doing it because he can."

Heiji grimaced. "Criminals like that are the worst. Like they've got nothing better to do than make the rest of us waste time and resources going after them because they're bored."

"If that's what you think it is, why don't you just not go?" Shinichi snapped, shooting him a narrow-eyed look that had the other scratching his head in confusion.

"What's up with you? Are you actually saying you think we shouldn't try to stop him?" he asked uncertainly, staring at his friend like he'd sprouted a third eye.

"N—no, I was just saying that maybe he has a good reason for doing what he's doing. It's not really fair to assume he's just trying to waste other people's time."

"Shinichi, he's an outlaw. You know, someone who doesn't have any regard for the law and considers himself above it. People like him do things however they like no matter what other people might think. They take things when they want and do as they like. They don't need good reasons. To them, 'because they feel like it' is usually reason enough. That's why we stop people like them. They don't care about anyone but themselves."

"KID's not like that," Shinichi objected.

"And how would you know that?"

"I just—I mean…" Shinichi trailed off, realizing there was nothing he could say. Technically, he wasn't supposed to have even met Kaito. "It was just a thought…"

Heiji was still frowning at him, but thankfully he let the subject drop. "So anyway, I've already arranged our transportation. We'll head over tomorrow morning."

"I'm going to miss this place," Ran sighed, turning to look towards the lake. "But I guess we _have_ been here for a while."

"We can always come back some time," Shinichi replied, following the direction of her gaze as his own eyes grew distant with memories.

"That's true…" Ran paused a moment before her tone grew teasing. "You know, I noticed Mister Taoki hasn't been around lately," she commented, watching Shinichi's face closely. On the other side of the table, Heiji rolled his eyes. Apparently she hadn't given up on that ridiculous notion of hers.

"He—went home."

Ran nodded slowly. Was it her imagination or had Shinichi's shoulders sagged just a little when he'd said that? No, it most certainly was not her imagination. Neither was the wistful look that had crept into his eyes. Heiji might think she was barking up the wrong tree, but she was pretty sure that she was the right one in this case. She just wished her friend had chosen someone they could be a little more sure about seeing again to fall in love with. As things were, she wasn't sure if she should be happy for him or concerned.

X

The art gallery in question was dedicated primarily to the display of jewelry and other hand crafted, three dimensional pieces. According to Sonoko, the pendant being targeted that night had been crafted by one of the best jewelers of the area (apparently the one from whom she herself obtained most of her jewelry). The pendant however was one of the jeweler's first works and was on display because its maker refused to sell it. As one of the gallery sponsors, Sonoko had declared that she too would be attending the heist. Although closer questioning revealed that what she really wanted was a look at the thief.

"I heard he's supposed to be really handsome," she told Ran, giggling as she shifted in her carriage seat.

"But no one knows exactly what he looks like," the other girl pointed out. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Shinichi turn to look out the carriage window. Was he blushing? That was odd. She wondered what he was thinking about.

"That just makes it more exciting!" Sonoko replied, wagging her finger at her friend.

"If you say so…"

They arrived at the gallery with several hours to spare which they spent being given a tour by the lady. Everywhere they went, they could see guards being briefed or examining the various entrances. They weren't particularly happy to see they had visitors, but, recognizing Lady Sonoko, they refrained from commenting. They also ran into Lord Hakuba and another noble, both of whom were assisting the officers in securing the premises.

Trailing along at the back of the group, Shinichi only barely heard what was being said, caught up as he was in his own thoughts. He was feeling a great deal more nervous than he would care to admit to anyone, himself included. The thing was that even though he wanted to see Kaito again, he hadn't expected their next meeting to be at one of the magician thief's heists. He didn't know how he was supposed to react to that. It was an unsettling reminder of exactly who Kaito was.

He still couldn't approve of the fact that the man was a thief. But at the same time he knew that Kaito did indeed have good reasons at least in regards to certain stones. As long as it was for that, Shinichi would wish him luck with no reservations whatsoever. But for everything else…

In the end, he slipped away from the others as they were setting up. A quick examination of the building and current security had him making his way up to the third floor where he debated with himself for a moment before climbing out of the west window and onto the stretch of roof outside. There weren't any trees close enough to be easily used as ladders up there, but the roof opposite was one story lower whereas the one outside the east window was one higher. He was surprised they hadn't thought to post guards on the east window, but he supposed most people would assume you'd have to be crazy to try and jump that distance onto a slanted surface. Still, he would bet anything that Kaito wouldn't bat an eye at doing just that.

As the sun sank into the western horizon, he settled down to wait, wondering idly what everyone else was doing.

X

"Are you waiting for me?" a voice whispered into his ear.

Shinichi started violently and he might have fallen over the edge of the roof if it hadn't been for the arms that had made their way around him at the same time the voice had spoken. The shock passed quickly however as he recognized both the voice and the feel of the body pressed against his back. He relaxed into the embrace, turning his head to the side so that he could see the magician's face.

"Maybe."

"Only maybe?" Kaito cast him a mock wounded look.

Shinichi turned away to hide a smile. It was ridiculous, he reflected, how easily everything he had been worrying about just seemed to melt away at the mere sound of Kaito's voice. "So are you coming or going?"

In answer, Kaito lifted one hand, closed it, then opened it to reveal the small, gold pendant with its ruby heart.

"Is it one of yours?"

"Nope. Mine are all blue stones. This one's red." As though to illustrate just how little he cared about the jewel in question, he flipped the pendant to Shinichi who caught it reflexively. "Give it back for me, will you?"

"Why did you come if you already knew it wasn't the stone you wanted and you don't want anything for it?"

"To see you."

"…That's all?"

"Why do you always think there has to be something else?"

Shinichi blinked. "I just… It just seems like a lot of trouble to go to just to…well, essentially, say hello."

Kaito turned to burry his nose in the smaller boy's hair. "I don't think so."

They stayed like that for a while, content for now simply to be in each other's company again. When the silence finally broke, it was to the sound of a shout from somewhere downstairs.

"I guess they've finally noticed it's gone," Kaito mused before letting out a disappointed sigh though he made no move to let go of his companion yet. "It seems our time tonight must now come to an end. I don't suppose you'd consider coming with me?"

"I—I don't know." A couple months ago Shinichi would have scoffed at the mere idea, but now… Part of him wanted to, but to do so would be to abandon everything else, and he wasn't sure he was ready to do that.

Indigo eyes softened. "I can wait. Although if you take too long I might decide to just steal you away one day," he added, tone growing teasing.

Shinichi snorted, though secretly he thought he might not mind. "You better hurry. It won't take Heiji and Ran long to think of looking up here."

X

It had been decided that they would be heading back to Beika on the morrow. It had, Ran had declared, been far too long since they had been home. It was about time to head back. With that in mind, the three of them had split up to stock up on supplies for the journey. Shinichi had been assigned the job of locating and securing transportation. From what he'd been able to find out, they could get a ride from the postal carriages for most of the journey. Once they were out of Ekoda however they would have to do some hiking before they could take a train the rest of the way.

The idea of going home was…not quite as enticing as it usually was, he thought to himself as he started walking back towards the inn. If anything it was kind of depressing. On the other hand, it wasn't like he couldn't come back.

He was rudely yanked out of his thoughts by a sudden outcry from right behind him.

"You!" A hand closed around his wrist like a vice and he found himself being spun around to come face to face with one Hakuba Saguru's glaring eyes. "You're his accomplice, aren't you?"

Shinichi looked back at him with a blank expression. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me," the blonde snapped, his grip tightening. "One of the guards reported seeing you with KID last night shortly after the pendant was found missing where you made no move to prevent his escape."

"They must have seen someone else," Shinichi snapped, wrenching his arm out of the other's grasp with an inward grimace. He was probably going to have bruises.

"You had the targeted pendant," the blonde accused, eyes narrowed.

"I was returning it," Shinichi countered.

"And how did you get it?"

The detective fought the urge to roll his eyes. "He gave it to me when I caught up to him. Said he didn't want it. I hear it's not the first time he's done something like that."

"But why did he give it to you?" the other man persisted.

"Because I was there?" Shinichi suggested. "Like I said, I happened to catch up to him."

"How did you know where he would be if you were not working for him?"

"Lucky guess."

"Yet I recall that you left rather quickly last night."

"I was tired. Is that a crime?"

Brown eyes narrowed. "If you really have nothing to hide, then you won't mind coming with me to see the sheriff."

**TBC**


	7. Reunions

Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

* * *

**Outlaw Hearts**

7: Reunions

"Shinichi's been arrested!" Ran cried out as she flung open the door to their suite.

Heiji just stared at her. "What? Why?"

"They're saying he's one of KID's undercover accomplices."

"How did they come up with _that_?" he demanded incredulously, only half believing what he was hearing.

"I don't know," she replied, lips pressed into a thin line. "But we're going to find out."

X

He could hear shouting in the other room. It sounded like Heiji. Sighing, Shinichi leaned back against the wall behind him and glared at the bars between his half of the room and the half with the door. The only other person in the room with him was a drunkard lying passed out on the other side of the prison who'd apparently been brought in for brawling.

He was still a little unsure how he'd wound up in here when he'd only expected to be asked a few questions. Somehow the questions had turned into accusations well before he got around to giving any answers and now he was here. He'd been told they would be carting him off to a town that actually had a court house come the morrow.

The more he thought about it, the more it was beginning to annoy him. Questions he would understand, but it hardly seemed good etiquette to lock someone up just because someone saw him standing near the enemy (though god he hoped all they'd seen was them saying goodbye). He knew he hadn't helped Kaito in any way (Kaito really didn't need help). Although it was also true that he hadn't bothered trying to stop him…

Deflating a little, he stood up and began to pace, listening to the rising voices in the other room. Suddenly the door slammed open and he spun around to see a grim-faced Ran come in. She shut the door behind herself, cutting off the continuing shouts that had gusted in around her when the door had opened.

"Are you all right?" she asked with concern, her eyes locating him in the prison's dim lighting. "They didn't hurt you did they?"

"No, I'm fine," he assured her, rubbing absently at his wrist.

She studied his face for a few seconds as though she were trying to find something but didn't know what it was exactly that she was looking for. "I was wondering, you never did tell us what KID said to you last night…"

"He just said he didn't want it after all and asked me to return it for him," Shinichi lied, not quite meeting her gaze.

"Shinichi…" Ran let out a quiet sigh as she shook her head slowly. "What are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything," he muttered, guilt at the lie making his stomach twist uncomfortably.

Ran was silent for a long moment before she finally spoke again. "Well, we'll keep talking to them, but at the moment it looks like they're determined to go to court about this. They've never actually been able to get a hold of any of KID's accomplices—or supposed accomplices—before, so… Well, you get the idea."

Shinichi let his breath out in a resigned sigh. "I thought as much. I guess it can't be helped."

"But Shinichi, I'm worried," she continued, stepping closer to the bars between them as though not wanting to be overheard. "There seems to be some bad blood between KID and several of the people here. With the mood they're in, I'm not sure it's going to be a very fair hearing."

Shinichi had been trying not to think about that. But still, no matter what kind of grudge these people had, he was pretty sure he had enough evidence to satisfy any court that he hadn't been helping the thief on his heists. All considered, he hadn't even been in Ekoda all that long. All he had to do was keep a level head and argue his case logically.

"I'll manage," he said finally, mustering as much confidence into his voice as he could. "The truth always wins in the end, right?"

Her frown deepened but she relented with a reluctant nod. "We'll see what we can do. Just—try not to say anything that'll make them mad or something."

"Like what Heiji's doing you mean?" he asked, amused.

She grimaced. "Yeah. Telling them how stupid they are isn't going to help our case. So take care, all right? We'll be back first thing tomorrow."

"I will."

X

"Wait!"

Heiji and Ran turned at the cry to see a girl with a ponytail running to catch up to them as they headed back to the inn. She skidded to a halt beside them, breathing hard.

"I heard what happened," she said once she had gotten her breath back. Straightening, she looked them each in the eyes in turn, her own gaze solemn. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Kazuha," Heiji replied, his own breath leaving him in a sigh. "It ain't your fault."

"I know, but…I know how uptight _they_ can be. My dad works with them, remember? It's just that that thief's been making fools of them for so long they get a bit unreasonable whenever a possible lead comes up." Her brows furrowed in disapproval as she looked away. "The thing is…"

The two waited but when Kazuha didn't continue Ran cleared her throat. "Was there something you wanted to tell us?"

The other girl bit her lip, glanced around at the busy street, and lowered her voice. "Is there anywhere we can go to talk?"

Heiji traded puzzled looks with Ran. "Er, we could go to our suite at the inn."

"Let's go then," she declared, face setting with determination.

The three of them made their way back to the inn in silence. It wasn't until they were seated in the suite's small common room that another word was uttered.

"If you can, you should take your friend and get out of here tonight," Kazuha stated.

Two pairs of eyes stared at her in open shock.

"Wha—what?" Heiji gasped.

"No, listen, I know it sounds strange, but if you don't your friend could very well be locked up or worse."

"But he's innocent!"

"I believe you, but like I said, things aren't that simple. You've met Lord Hakuba's son, right?"

Ran nodded. "Hakuba Saguru, yes."

"Well, a few years ago he was in an incident involving one of KID's accomplices. I don't know the details, but the young lord was pretty severely injured. Word is that it was that thief's gang who were responsible. He's been out to get them ever since. If he thinks there's any chance at all that your friend is one of KID's people, he'll see him hung for sure."

The room fell into a dead silence.

Finally Kazuha stood up. "I have to go, but…good luck. I—I hope we can see each other again."

"Wait, Kazuha!" Scrambling to his feet, Heiji caught her hand before she could get out the door. "Um, if—if you ever come to Beika, look me up all right?"

She blushed faintly and nodded. "Good luck."

That said, she slipped out of the room. Heiji returned to his seat, expression grim.

"So what now?"

Ran shifted uneasily in her seat. "I don't know… I don't like the idea of running—and that's assuming we can find a way to get him out."

"Makes you look guilty," Heiji agreed, scowling. "But if she's right…"

Their eyes met, their own uncertainty reflected in each other's faces.

X

It was the feel of a hand on his shoulder that woke him. His sleep had been restless, full of indistinct dreams and a vague sense of longing. It was a little cold too and the warm touch on his shoulder made him flinch in shock. Jerking his head up, he squinted through the darkness.

"Who—"

"Shh, it's me."

"Kaito?" he gasped, shocked.

The thief's grin flashed white in the dim room. "Of course. Were you expecting someone else?"

"I wasn't expecting anyone," Shinichi replied honestly.

"You didn't think I'd leave you here, did you?" he chided before his tone grew serious. "I didn't mean to land you in here. I should have been more careful."

"I should have been more careful too," Shinichi replied ruefully, letting Kaito pull him to his feet. "But you know I can't just leave right?"

"Why not?" Kaito asked, sounding honestly confused.

"Generally running makes things worse."

"You're not staying. I know these people. If you do, they'll find some way to pin something on you and that will be the end of it."

"But I didn't do anything."

"And what reason did they have to put you in here to begin with?"

"Hakuba said someone saw me with you and that I didn't try to stop you…" Which was true, granted, they had simply decided to layer on their own reasons for the incident.

"The little lordling, huh?" Kaito muttered darkly to himself. "He is fortunate I do not believe in shooting people. First he breaks Aoko's heart after she went to all that trouble to save his sorry hide, now this. Some people never learn."

Shinichi shivered a little at the cold malice in the thief's voice. He'd never heard him sound like that before and he kind of wished he hadn't heard it now. "Kaito?"

Indigo eyes returned to his, the slightly frightening ice that had been in them moments ago melting away. "Please Shinichi, come with me. I don't want to lose you."

Shinichi swallowed. He wanted to, but… "I—I can't. If I disappear, they're going to go after Ran and Heiji."

"Where are they now?"

"The inn."

Kaito was silent for a moment, thinking. "Would you come if they came too?"

X

The lock on the inn room door hindered Kaito for maybe the fraction of a heartbeat. Then he had the door open and had shunted them both inside.

"Shinichi?" Ran gasped, looking up from where she appeared to be finishing the last steps of packing.

"Talk later," Kaito cut in. "The guards won't sleep forever."

Heiji shot him a narrow-eyed look. "And who the hell are you?"

"And here I thought I'd made an impression when we all met at Lake Pearl."

Green eyes stared at him blankly before recognition dawned. "You're that musician!"

"Oh, look, he remembers, let's get him a prize. Now if you'll hurry, it looks to me like you two had the same idea I did so that saves us some talking. I have horses just outside of town."

Ran and Heiji stared at him. "What—"

"We'll explain later," Shinichi said quickly, trying not to fidget. He still felt like they were doing something wrong. Although it seemed that Kaito was right that Ran and Heiji had been thinking along similar lines. They were far too prepared for uprooting for it to have been a coincidence. What had they heard?

There were indeed two horses waiting right outside the town. One was the pale gray Shinichi remembered from when Kaito had taken him riding back at Lake Pearl. The other had a dark brown coat that made it blend into the night.

"Guess it was a good thing I brought them both," Kaito murmured to Shinichi as he directed Ran and Heiji to the brown. "I assume you two can ride?"

"Yeah, as long as it's not anything fancy," Heiji replied, securing the pack he'd been carrying to the saddle. Ran handed him her pack too before turning to look Kaito in the eyes. Shinichi watched the two of them nervously but remained quiet. This had to happen eventually.

"You're not really Mister Taoki, are you?"

The corners of his mouth quirked into a wry grin. "If you mean to say that I am an imposter, then I am afraid you are mistaken, but if you mean to say that that is not all I am, then you would be right."

"You're the Phantom."

Kaito swept into a showman's bow. "At your service. Please, call me Kaito. I know you probably have questions, but I would suggest we save the talking for later."

X

They rode all through the rest of the night, taking only short breaks for the horses. When dawn broke, Kaito led them into a grove on the side of the road where they found a small stash of supplies waiting for them.

"We'll stay here until nightfall," Kaito announced.

They took turns sleeping and keeping watch. When daylight began to fade, they ate a quick meal before saddling up and heading out once more. The routine was repeated over the next two days. By then Shinichi was fairly sure they were heading to wherever Kaito's base camp was located.

There really would be no going back.

They reached the outskirts of the Oasis on the fourth day. It was difficult to pick out landmarks in the endless stretches of barren, rocky terrain and by noon none of the detectives could tell which way was what anymore. Kaito, however, seemed to know exactly where he was going. Their path eventually led them to a particularly tall and intimidating set of ridges. Kaito directed them to a narrow path that just barely accommodated the horses in single file. Fifteen minutes later they rounded a corner and a camp appeared before them as though by magic.

They were accosted the moment they had all dismounted by a girl with long, wild brown hair which Shinichi recognized.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded, storming right up to them. "I was right in the next town! I could have helped! Instead I don't even hear about this until I get back here."

Kaito deftly caught her hand as she waved her fist at him and pulled her aside, saying something in a quiet voice that the rest of them couldn't hear. She quieted at that, her shoulders sagging for a moment before she pulled herself back together. The two returned to the trio standing awkwardly by the horses.

"It's getting late. I'll have someone set up a few spare tents. For now, Aoko here will show you where you can get something to eat."

Ran nodded, though she couldn't help but notice that all this seemed to be directed at her and Heiji. Her suspicions were confirmed when Shinichi didn't follow them when they left with their assigned guide. A glance back revealed that he was talking to the thief, but she couldn't hear what they were saying. Shinichi had his back to her so she couldn't see his face either, though his posture was much more relaxed than she felt. What she _could_ see was the soft smile on the thief's face, and seeing that just made her feel odd. And a little like she was witnessing something private that she shouldn't.

Tearing her eyes away from them, she turned her attention back to their guide.

"I'm sure we have some stew left," she was saying as she brought them to the side of a campfire. "Just have a seat and let me go check."

Ran and Heiji exchanged looks before they both sat down. Aoko returned a moment later with two bowls. Handing one to each of them, she sat down on Ran's other side.

"My name is Aoko Nakamori by the way," she said, sticking out her hand. "You're Ran, right?"

"Yes," Ran replied, taking the proffered hand with a cautious smile. "Um, I've been wondering, have we met before? You seem kind of familiar."

The other girl laughed. "We had dinner at the same table once at Lake Pearl. I didn't think you'd remember."

"Oh, I remember now. I saw you dancing with—uh…" She paused, no longer sure exactly what to call the man she'd thought was Kuro Taoki. Er, well, technically he still was, according to the brief explanation he'd given them during their journey, but at the same time he wasn't, and that just made it a lot more confusing.

"Just call him Kaito," Aoko advised, apparently guessing at her thoughts. "To be honest, he's the only one who can actually remember all the names he's ever used. So where're you guys from?"

"We actually live in Beika, though we've been staying around here for a while now."

"You're a long way from home then, huh?"

"Yeah." Ran glanced a bit wistfully up at the sky. Home… What she wouldn't give to be there right now. "We were actually just on our way back, but then all this happened."

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. The city's not going to run away after all. But what about you? Where's your home town?"

Aoko shrugged. "Don't have one. My family's been on the road since before I was born, so home's always been wherever we happen to be."

"Isn't that hard?" Ran asked a bit hesitantly. She liked traveling well enough, but she couldn't imagine actually living on the road.

To her surprise, Aoko laughed. "I suppose it must seem that way, but I've always kind of liked it."

Ran nodded. Before she could say more, her attention was caught by the sight of two familiar figures passing by them. Her gaze focused on the one in the lead.

"Come on, I want to show you something," the thief was saying, pulling Shinichi along by the hand. In moments they were already out of sight. She looked at the spot where they had been moments before for a long time before turning back to the fire before her. The Oasis' evening chill had long since set in. Scooting closer to the flickering flames, she set her now empty bowl down and held her hands out to their luminous tongues.

"Does it bother you?"

Startled, she glanced at the girl sitting beside her. Aoko's own expression was curious but otherwise gave nothing away.

"I…don't know," Ran admitted eventually, eyes returning to the fire. She really wasn't sure how she should be feeling. She didn't particularly like the idea of some strange man—and an outlaw no less—whose whole first introduction to them had basically been a pack of lies having anything to do with her best friend. On the other hand, the thief seemed to be serious about the relationship. Serious enough to not only come to Shinichi's rescue but also to allow her and Heiji to tag along when he could have just taken Shinichi away just because Shinichi had asked him to. There was a level of trust there that she had to admit surprised her.

And it seemed Shinichi had known who he was all along. Knowing that, she now had a fairly good guess of who exactly her friend had been with those three months he'd been missing. Which, of course, meant that the thief had also saved his life.

So he couldn't be a bad person, she decided (or at least she hoped, because he held all their lives in his hands right now, and her friend's heart on top of that). The best thing for her to do now was to get to know him.

So it was that she set about the task of familiarizing herself with the camp and its occupants. Most of them treated her and her companions with a sort of wary cordiality. It wasn't exactly what Ran would call a comfortable atmosphere. With Aoko's help however, she was gradually making some headway.

For his part Heiji was disturbed. Really he felt he would have been a lot happier _not_ knowing that one of his best friends was having a…a relationship with an outlaw. He did not need to wonder if he was going to round a boulder and find them kissing like he had just the other day. He did not want to wonder what they were up to every time they disappeared. The one time he'd accidentally seen them making out, he'd had the overpowering urge to storm over there and drag the thief off his friend and demand to know what they thought they were doing. But he hadn't. After all, they were all adults here. Shinichi had the right to make his own decisions, even if he was making damned weird ones in Heiji's opinion. It was just hard not to be at least a little worried, all considered this Kuro or Kaito—or whatever his name really was—was still a criminal. In his mind, the relationship didn't have very good prospects of lasting. And even if it did, he wasn't sure it would be a good thing. The problem was he could tell from the fact that he'd actually seen Shinichi quite happily move to sit on the thief's lap the other day that he was probably too far gone to see why this wasn't a good idea. Heck, he'd already been arrested once because of it, and here he was, obviously not caring. What was _wrong_ with him?

To think Shinichi was usually such a good judge of character too…

So it seemed Heiji just had to accept that somewhere along the line his friend had lost his mind along with his good senses. All he could do was keep an eye out and be ready to help when everything inevitably went wrong. He didn't have to like it though.

Ran kept telling him he was being too pessimistic about it, but he rather thought he was the only one being realistic around here. It didn't work in their favor that everyone else seemed to have bought into the whole curse story. Honestly, the only magic around here was whatever spell the thief had used to convince everyone that curses were real.

"You don't like me," the thief had observed one evening when the two of them had been waiting for Ran and Shinichi to come back from getting them second helpings of desert at the main campfire, the corners of his lips quirking into an amused smile that told Heiji exactly how little that mattered to him.

"Not really," he had answered, knowing it was pointless to try and deny it and not seeing a point in lying anyway. "Being friendly doesn't make a criminal any less of a criminal."

"You have no right to speak to him like that," a girl who had been passing by had snapped, coming to an abrupt stop to glare down at the seated detective. "You are a guest here on our good graces. Don't forget that."

"Let it go Suzuna," Kaito had interjected, waving away her anger with a nonchalant gesture. "Everyone's entitled to have their own opinions." He turned back to Heiji with that same, amused smile that the dark-skinned detective was seriously starting to despise. "You know, you can leave whenever you want. I won't stop you."

Heiji had snorted but refrained from saying anything as Ran and Shinichi had gotten back by then. He wasn't about to leave the two of them with this man. For all that he was almost always smiling, he was clearly dangerous. Crazy too, if he believed his own claims about being cursed. Why couldn't the others see that?

"I marvel at your friend's ability to deny the supernatural even when it bites him on the nose," Kaito told Shinichi later when they were alone in his tent.

Shinichi let out a snort of laughter though he felt a bit bad about it. "He'll come around once he's calmed down about everything."

He just wished he could say the same with as much certainty about the rest of the camp. The tension that had greeted their arrival in camp had calmed somewhat over the past few days, largely thanks to Aoko and her friends, Keiko and Eisuke, whom she'd introduced to them on the second day of their stay. But it was a gradual process and he hadn't missed the suspicious looks several of them were giving his companions in general and him in particular. He supposed he could understand their wariness, but it didn't make it do much for lessening the pressure. At times it felt like his every move was being analyzed and judged, and even though he knew he didn't have to prove anything to them it still set his nerves on edge.

Heiji was giving him strange looks too. Every time Shinichi saw that look he felt guilty. It wasn't until now that he'd realized that while he had already made up his mind about any consequences his choices would bring to him, he hadn't considered how they might affect his friends. It was entirely his fault that they had been dragged into this and were now temporarily unable to go home. How he was going to make it up to them, he had no idea.

The only time he could really relax was when he was alone or with Kaito. It made him wonder though what Kaito thought about everything. Outwardly his behavior hadn't changed at all, but Shinichi knew him better than to think he hadn't noticed the tensions running through his camp.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're hiding over here?"

He started in surprise. Whipping his head around he found Kaito sitting beside him, looking like he'd been there for a while already.

"When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago," the magician replied with a dismissive wave. "So tell me, why are you over here all by yourself?"

"I wanted to think," Shinichi replied vaguely, turning his gaze back to the vast expanse of land spread out below them. Kaito had shown him this particular spot among the rocky ridges on that first night in camp. Up here, you really could see for miles, and it was sheltered enough by the surrounding rock formations to keep off most of the sun and the wind.

Kaito hummed thoughtfully but didn't comment. Instead he wrapped an arm around him and Shinichi leaned into his side, feeling the tension run out of him like water through a sieve. It was scary how easily Kaito could make his worries disappear, but right now he was just grateful. Still, he wasn't sure if it was fair for him to feel so happy just to be with Kaito when it had caused everyone else so many problems. They sat like that for a long time, just watching the sun sink gradually towards the horizon. It was a breathtaking sight especially with such a vast expanse of horizon.

"Don't let them get to you," Kaito said suddenly, confirming Shinichi's suspicions that he'd known what was on his mind all along. "They really are good people. Just give them a little time. They'll understand one day."

Shinichi nodded, though he wasn't so sure about that himself. He didn't understand it himself, how could he expect other people to?

"Shinichi?" Kaito asked softly, his breath ruffling the hair on top of Shinichi's head. "Are you awake?"

The detective hummed an affirmative, though he was rapidly growing drowsy.

"I love you."

That woke him up much more effectively than anything else could have as something warm and giddy but also nervous rushed through him. He wasn't sure if he was ready to hear that for all that part of him had hoped. And yet…

"I love you too," he whispered, because it was true and it was almost a relief to finally admit it (to the one person to whom it mattered most).

And yet he couldn't help but notice that though Kaito's smile was warm and genuine, there was a hint of sadness there too, hidden behind his eyes.

**TBC**


	8. The Last Shard

Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK

* * *

**Outlaw Hearts**

8: The Last Shard

He had woken up in the middle of the night to find Kaito watching him with this look on his face as though he was trying to imprint the moment into his memory. Like he was afraid that Shinichi was going to vanish at any second. It bothered him, but when he tried to ask Kaito about it the thief just shook his head and changed the subject. It made Shinichi feel a bit sad but he didn't push the issue. Kaito would tell him when he wanted to and not a moment sooner.

"I'll be gone next week," Kaito told him one evening when they were once again watching the sunset from their private sightseeing alcove.

"Do you have another lead?"

"Yeah."

He wondered why Kaito didn't sound quite as enthusiastic as he thought he would. "Is something wrong?"

Kaito only grinned. "I was just thinking that I'm going to miss you."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "If you don't feel like talking about it, just say so. I…do wish you would tell me what's been bothering you though."

Kaito sighed, taking one of Shinichi's hands and lacing their fingers together. "Maybe when I get back. But really, it's not worth mentioning just yet."

"If you say so…"

X

"So where's he off to now?"

Shinichi dragged his gaze away from where Kaito and his horse had just disappeared into the distance to find Heiji standing behind him with his arms folded across his chest. "He got another lead."

"So he's going to go steal another stone," Heiji surmised.

"Yeah…"

"And you're okay with that?"

The accusatory note in his friend's voice made Shinichi wince. "I don't like it, if that's what you mean, but it could be one of his. If it is, then he has every right to take it back."

"So you believe that story."

"Yes, Heiji, I do. You would too if you'd just open your eyes and look."

Heiji stared at him for a second before letting out a frustrated sigh. "I just don't get it. How can you all believe something so—so unbelievable?"

"Because I could tell he was telling the truth when he told me," Shinichi replied, catching his friend's gaze and holding it.

"But how can you know?" Heiji demanded. "How can you know _anything_ he says is true? He's an outlaw, Shinichi! And from what we've seen he's one hell of a good liar. For all you know, he's just using you. _How can you trust him_?!"

Shinichi bit down on the urge to snap that Kaito wasn't like that. He knew Heiji was just worried about him. Instead he turned a few answers over in his head before letting out a rueful laugh.

"I know this will probably sound weird to you, but…I just do—trust him I mean. And he's never given me any reason not to. I don't believe he's ever been anything but honest with me, and I will continue to believe that until he gives me a reason to think otherwise." If anything, what he didn't understand was why Kaito had trusted _him_.

It was Heiji who looked away first. "You really do like him don't you?"

Shinichi blushed.

"I guess if you really believe in him that much, I'm not gonna argue with you. Who knows, maybe you can talk him out of this whole stealing thing."

Shinichi laughed.

X

Ran stepped back from where she had been peeking around a boulder at her two friends, content in the knowledge that things were going to be all right. She had been worrying lately about Heiji's persistently sour mood. It seemed though that he was finally coming around.

"Do you spy on your friends a lot?"

She jumped, spinning around to find Aoko standing a step behind her. The other girl giggled at the look on her face. "Oh don't worry, I won't tell them. Would you like to join me for breakfast?"

Ran relaxed and smiled. "I'd love to."

The two girls made their way to the main campfire where the man on breakfast duty that day gave them each a bowl of oatmeal and an apple.

"He never was creative when it came to cooking," Aoko mused as they left to find a good place to eat. They ended up sitting outside of her tent where there were a handful of boulders that were just the right size for sitting on. They chatted idly as they ate, but Ran's mind kept returning to the sight of Kaito heading out that morning and the memory it had stirred in her until she couldn't stay silent any longer.

"Um, Aoko, can I…ask you something?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Well… Before we came here, we heard something about an incident involving you guys and Lord Hakuba…" She trailed off, not sure how to phrase the question without sounding pushy.

"Oh, that…" Aoko looked down, a shadow falling across her face. "I suppose you want to know what really happened."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Ran said quickly.

"No, it's okay, it was a long time ago anyway." Sighing, Aoko leaned back on her hands, looking up at the cloudless sky. "I was spending a couple weeks in town that time. I guess you could say I was on vacation. I met Saguru there at the summer festival. He asked me to dance at the festival and we got to talking. One thing led to another and… well, I knew he was a noble, but I… I really thought…" She swallowed, shaking her head. "Anyway, it turned out that there were some people with a grudge against the family in town too. They were planning to kidnap him and get money from his father. I found out because I heard them mention KID's name and thought I'd listen in. They were talking about using us as a scapegoat. The thing was I heard about it a bit late. I sent Kaito a message about it and went after them. Things sort of went wrong though and Saguru nearly got killed, then Kaito showed up and… It was just a big mess." She grimaced. "Long story short, Saguru really believed we were behind it, accused me of tricking him, and wouldn't listen when I tried to explain. I haven't seen him since then."

"I'm so sorry…"

Aoko shrugged. "Don't be. Like I said, it was a long time ago." She picked up her empty bowl and stood, offering the other girl a reassuring smile. "It's my turn to exercise the horses. Wanna come?"

"Sure." Ran stood and followed after her. These people, she thought as they returned the empty bowls to the day's dishwashers, certainly were an unusual lot.

X

Shinichi was reading a book he'd borrowed from Eisuke after having spent an hour helping said boy organize the camp's remaining supplies when something gold and sparkly dropped down before his nose to spin gently between him and the pages. He went cross-eyed looking at it before he realized what it was. Reaching up, he caught it and turned it so he could see the lid where eleven sapphires gleamed back at him.

He looked up to smile at Kaito who was now sitting beside him with a smug grin. "You're back! So that means you only have one more shard to go, right?"

He was a little confused when Kaito's grin faded slowly. "I…already know where the last piece is."

"Are you sure?"

"Almost positive."

Shinichi hesitated a moment, wondering where the catch was. "But then why don't you go get it?"

Kaito was silent for so long that Shinichi thought he wasn't going to answer when he finally spoke. "Because I can't."

"Why? Where is it?"

Kaito chuckled, though he didn't sound very amused. "Can't you guess? It's at _her_ house. That witch sent them all away but one, just so she could spite me."

Shinichi frowned, the excitement from before turning to anxiety. "What do you mean?"

"I—can't enter her house or any of her lands," Kaito explained, sounding a bit sheepish at having to admit it. "It's like it doesn't exist for me. If I try to enter, I just end up going back the way I came or all the way on the other side."

"So it seems this is it." His fingers closed tightly around the pocket watch. "Fifty years and this is as far as it goes. It's strange, you know. I almost wish now that there were more pieces to find. I guess while there were still other shards to find I could at least tell myself that I was getting closer. One day you're going to leave me and all I'll be able to do is watch."

The bitter anguish in his voice made Shinichi's heart ache. "You're…not giving up, are you?"

Kaito let out a frustrated breath as he took the pocket watch back and popped it open to stare at its blank face. "I don't want to, but I might not have a choice. I thought at first I could just wait until she, ah, passed with the ages as it were. But I think she might be like me in some ways. So she's not going anywhere anytime soon."

Shinichi's brows furrowed as he thought. "So where does she live?"

"You might already know actually. Have you heard of Akako Koizumi?"

"Koizumi?" The name did sound familiar. "Doesn't the family own a lot of land in southern Ekoda?"

"Not the family, just her," Kaito replied darkly. "I'm not sure there's ever been a family. Or at least there hasn't been since I've known her. And I've known her for quite a long time now."

"Why did she curse you?" the detective couldn't help but ask. He had been wondering about it ever since Kaito had first told him about the curse but he hadn't felt like he could ask about it until now.

"Uh, well…" The magician laughed a bit sheepishly. "I guess it started when Dad and I were passing through her lands. We were searching for a rare breed of medicinal flower rumored to be growing there. The county wasn't all that well populated back then and I didn't know anyone was living in the area. So when I saw this huge mansion I just couldn't resist taking a look."

"So you broke into her house?" Shinichi guessed, voice dry.

"Not really," the thief hedged. "I just climbed into the garden for a look and lo and behold there's the flower we were looking for. That was when I met her. She kind of caught me collecting a few."

"And she got mad just for that?"

"No. She just asked me why I was defiling her garden. I apologized and told her why I was there and we got to talking. It turned out she hadn't had any visitors in a long time and she lived all by herself. She seemed really lonely, so I promised I'd go back to see her once we'd delivered the flowers to the people who needed them. She didn't seem to want me to at first, but she eventually agreed. I started visiting her every few months or so. It was about a year after we first met that I mentioned some people who'd been giving Dad and me a hard time. It was just this guy who was hassling Dad over an artifact we'd found. Anyway, a few days after that he turned up dead. Got thrown by his horse. I mentioned it to Akako the next time I visited her, and I found out she'd been behind it."

Shinichi drew in his breath sharply. "She _murdered_ him?"

Indigo eyes grew grim as Kaito nodded. "Well, not directly, but she cursed him with bad luck. The thing was, she didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with that. We argued. I told her she didn't have the right to play with other people's lives like that. She said she'd only been trying to help, and I…uh, kind of called her some things I shouldn't have. Told her she might know more about how to be human if she didn't hole up by herself all the time… What she did wasn't right, but, thinking back, I think I might have been a little harsh. I said a lot of things I regretted later. And I know she hasn't gotten any more people killed so I think maybe she did regret it at some level."

Shinichi mulled this over. "Did you apologize?"

"I did, but I kind of also told her again how wrong she'd been. Apologies aren't really my strong suit. So it just sort of made her madder. That was when the whole curse thing started actually. I tried to go back to talk to her again a few times after that, but that's when I found out I couldn't."

"I'll go."

Kaito blinked. "What?"

"I'll go get your stone from Lady Akako."

"_No_. Haven't you been listening to me? She's _dangerous_!"

"I know, but you can't go yourself. You said she seems to have changed—"

"Seems—as in not sure."

"And Besides, it's been fifty years, maybe she's mellowed out by now."

"I said _no_."

"Don't you want the last shard?" Shinichi challenged, crossing his arms.

"Of course I do, but it's too risky."

"Even you can't make it fly out to you, you know. Eventually _someone_ is going to have to go inside."

Kaito was silent for a long moment. "You're not going to listen to me if I tell you not to go, are you?"

"No."

He sighed and made the pocket watch disappear before pulling Shinichi onto his lap and wrapping his arms tightly around the smaller boy as though trying to hold on to the moment. "I guess if I can't stop you… But you have to promise me to be careful. And if she shows any signs of being upset at all, just leave. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

X

"You're going to see a _what_?"

"A witch, Heiji, how many times are you going to make me repeat myself?"

"Until you start making sense, that's what."

"Just ignore him," Ran sighed before leveling Shinichi with a frown. "But really Shinichi, are you sure it's safe?"

"I hope so."

"But you really want to go…"

"I just think it's worth a try."

"Can we go with you?"

Shinichi hesitated a moment then shook his head. "I'd feel better if you didn't."

He could see she didn't like the answer, but she didn't argue the point—something for which he was very grateful. "All right then. Just be careful okay?"

X

Shinichi couldn't help but stare at the building before him. Kaito had told him that Lady Akako's house was big, but the reality far exceeded his expectations. It was a single building that could have easily housed an entire town within its walls. And no, he was not exaggerating. How was he even going to be able to find the lady to talk to her? Especially if she lived alone? Would she even hear the doorbell?

Well, there was only one way to find out.

The doorbell looked ridiculously small compared to the monster of a house and Shinichi couldn't hear anything at all when he rang it. Hoping that just meant the bell was ringing somewhere far away rather than that it was broken, he settled back to wait. Five minutes later he reached out to ring the bell again when the door suddenly let out a creak that raised goose-bumps on his arms and opened.

There was nobody there.

Wait, no there was _something_. It was a shadow that hung a little thicker than the rest of the darkness inside. It looked almost human shaped. Even as he stared at it, it seemed to bend at the waist—bowing?—as the piece of shadow that would be an arm swept out in a clear invitation. Then it vanished, dissolving into the darkness of the hall beyond like so much mist.

That was…kind of creepy.

Well, it looked like he'd been invited in anyway. So he stepped inside. Not really sure where to begin looking for the person he'd come to see, he started walking. Sharp eyes noted how every time he reached a branching set of corridors, only one would be lit. He followed them.

If he had thought the house looked big from the outside, it felt even bigger now that he was wandering through its endless supply of hallways and stairwells. A person could probably spend a lifetime inside its walls, he thought, and never see the same corner twice. Maybe it really was larger on the inside than it was on the outside. For all he knew, there was a whole city's worth of space in here. He felt like he'd been walking for hours when he finally reached the first door that the lights had led him to.

He hesitated a moment to steady his nerves before reaching out to knock, but the door opened before he could touch it. Stepping cautiously over the threshold, he looked around. The chamber he was now in was spacious. Glass display cases lined the walls, each one filled with things that glittered and glowed. Above the cases elaborate tapestries hung on every wall. The only display that wasn't behind glass was the one on the far end of the room before which a woman in an elegant, black dress stood with her back to him.

"Welcome to my collection, Detective," she said before he could speak without turning around. "This is where I keep my most—unusual trinkets. Quite the collection, wouldn't you say?" She laughed quietly before finally turning to face him. Long, crimson hair framed a face that looked little older than his own but for eyes that looked much older. "So tell me, why did you wish to see me?"

"I came to ask you to give Kaito the piece of his time that you kept," he replied, deciding not to wonder how she knew he was a detective. He had the distinct impression that she knew a lot of things.

She looked amused. "And why do you think I would do that?"

"I…guess I just thought that fifty years is a long time to hold a grudge."

"Do you think so?" she asked airily.

"I do."

"And what do you think gives you the right to tell me that?"

Shinichi blinked, taken aback. "Nothing. It's just what I think."

"Is that so?" She studied his face for a long moment with eyes that seemed to see right through him. "I must admit that time is of little importance to me." She cast a glance back over her shoulder at the display she had been examining. "It is a pretty thing to look at, but little more than that. I suppose it was a rather petty squabble. Since you had the courtesy to ask, you are free to have it if you wish," she concluded, the corners of her mouth curling up with a hint of some private amusement. She stepped aside in a clear invitation.

Shinichi waited for a moment, expecting her to voice some kind of catch or at least say something else, but there was nothing. So he turned his attention back to the collection of jewels sprawled out upon their velvet display. He could see the blue shard he needed lying beside a jade pendant, for all the world like just another gem in a collector's horde. He looked again at the lady but she only continued to watch him with that slightly creepy smile that made him shiver with some unknown fear. Deciding he didn't really have anything to lose by trying, he stepped towards the display.

The moment his foot touched the rose patterned carpet he felt a waft of frigid air sweep over him like he'd walked into a room full of ice. A quick look around however revealed that nothing had changed. Although…was that mist he saw there out of the corner of his eyes? He frowned slightly. Another step and he could have sworn that he saw a sheet of fire rise to his right. He could feel the heat against his skin—see the air ripple as it was distorted by a gust of flames—but when he turned his head, there was again nothing there. Yet he could still feel the phantom presence of the fire.

He turned forward again and fixed his eyes on the display as he picked up his pace. One moment the ground seemed to quiver and heave, the next darkness leapt up like hungry beasts seeking to devour all light and color, but through it all the spread of red velvet remained clear and he focused on that. The rest had to be all in his imagination—some kind of illusion probably to deter people from taking the jewels arrayed so openly on their velvet throne.

It felt like an eternity before he reached the table. Letting out a quiet breath of relief, he reached out and picked up the shard of blue stone. It was cool to the touch and pleasantly solid after the way the world had been fluctuating. Closing his fingers over it, he turned back to Akako who was still watching him from her spot by the wall in the exact same position he'd last seen her in.

She caught his gaze and her smile grew a fraction, still dark and full of secrets. "Very good. But you were wrong about one thing."

He frowned slightly in confusion at the odd statement. "What do you mean?"

"It was not in your imagination. If you had come for any other reason, it would have been very real indeed." Then she threw back her head and laughed and everything from the carpet to the jewels to the candles and Akako herself melted together in a whirl of bloody crimson and deep, midnight black—

And Shinichi was staring at a stretch of open grassland beneath a late evening sky. He stared for a moment, turning around slowly, but the witch's house had vanished entirely. There was no sign at all that anything had ever been there.

Neither was there any sign of another living soul anywhere in sight.

Frowning, he looked around again before choosing a direction and taking a step forward. Yet even as he did so a wave of dizziness swept through him. Disoriented, he staggered. His limbs seemed to be made of led and exhaustion was dragging at his eyelids. He felt like he hadn't slept in a week and all the weariness was just now catching up to him.

He didn't even remember hitting the ground.

X

"Shinichi!"

Someone was shaking him.

"Shinichi! Are you all right? Wake up!"

Groaning and wishing that whoever it was would keep his voice down, Shinichi forced his eyes open. The person leaning over him was difficult to make out, backed as he was against the brightly lit sky, but he would know that flyaway hair anywhere. "Kaito?"

"It's me," the thief agreed, relief clearly evident in his voice as he gathered Shinichi to him. "Are you all right? Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

Shinichi wrinkled his nose in confusion. Though it didn't stop him from leaning into the other's embrace. "What are you talking about? I couldn't have been gone for more than a few hours."

"_A few hours_?" Kaito repeated incredulously. "Shinichi, you've been gone for three weeks!"

He gaped, suddenly wide awake. "What?"

"The whole house vanished a minute after you walked inside," Kaito explained. "What _happened_?"

"I—I'm not sure," Shinichi replied, his own confusion growing. "I'm sure I was only there a few hours. I just walked around for a while. Then I met the lady, and she just said I could take the stone. So I did, and then I was here." Reminded of his original errand, he sat up straighter and opened his right hand. Lying on his palm was a shard of brilliant blue. He grinned and held it up for Kaito to see. "This is it, right?"

Kaito stared at it for a moment before unwinding one arm from around Shinichi and carefully picking up the stone. He turned it over slowly, gaze intent, before a slow, wondering smile spread across his face.

"I think it is," he breathed as though he couldn't quite believe it.

"So? Are you going to try it?"

Kaito stared at the stone for a moment longer before making it disappear with a flick of his wrist. "Later. Right now I think we should get back to camp."

"Are you nervous?" Shinichi asked curiously as Kaito helped him to his feet.

"Maybe a little," the thief admitted wryly. "But I'll get over it. Come on."

Having expected a long ride back to the Oasis, Shinichi was befuddled at the sight of the camp that had formerly been in the Oasis now sprawled out in full right there on the open, grassy field for anyone to see a mere half hour from where he'd woken up. It didn't look like a very safe place for them all to be even if there weren't any towns in immediate sight. He remembered from the journey here that there were several settlements just over that deceptively empty horizon.

He was apprehended by Ran and Heiji the moment they dismounted as Aoko dragged Kaito off to give them some time alone, saying something about needing to call off the search.

"Search?" Shinichi repeated, still trying to come to terms with the idea that his last few hours had been a great deal longer than he'd thought.

Heiji snorted. "Are you kidding? He uprooted the entire camp and had everyone come out here to scour the place for you. We went over like every town in this area with a fine tooth comb twice over!"

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't apologize, it was more interesting than waiting around."

"Just don't do it again," Ran added. "So? Are you going to tell us the story or not?"

"There's not much to tell to be honest."

"Well, tell us anyway."

"I don't suppose I could get something to eat while we're at it?" he asked hopefully. "I feel like I haven't eaten anything in ages."

X

He didn't see Kaito again until later that evening. After recounting his story, he had retreated to Kaito's tent and slept until dinnertime. By then he was starting to worry. He'd expected the thief to be…well, more excited, but maybe Kaito was having second thoughts now.

Sighing, he made his way towards the main campfire to join the others for dinner. His motion was aborted however by a hand catching his arm. He knew it was Kaito before he turned around.

"Have dinner with me?"

"Aren't you eating with the others today?"

Kaito shook his head. "This is private."

Shinichi had no idea what he was talking about, but he was more than happy to have dinner with Kaito. It was like being back at Lake Pearl, he thought wryly. Just the two of them.

Kaito had brought a picnic blanket which he conjured with a flourish, complete with meal and a ring of lanterns. Short show completed, he turned and bowed, offering Shinichi his hand. "Shall we?"

The detective rolled his eyes at the theatrics but took the hand anyway. "Why all the fuss?"

"I feel like it."

"There's not something bad that's going to happen that you're not telling me, is there?" Shinichi asked suspiciously.

Kaito paused in the motion of pouring them drinks. "What? Of course not. Why would you ask me that?"

"It's just you've been awfully quiet since I got back, and now all this," Shinichi waved at the admittedly rather romantic atmosphere Kaito had set up, "feels like some kind of… I don't know, farewell party."

Kaito stared at him, then burst out laughing. "Oh my dear Shinichi, what did I say about thinking too much."

"Well, remind me never to worry about you again then," Shinichi huffed. Picking up his plate, he dug into his food with a single-minded determination to ignore Kaito for the time being. He'd been unusually hungry ever since his trip to the witch's house anyway. Maybe some part of him had known he was actually spending more time there than his conscious mind had been aware of.

"Aw, don't be like that." Kaito finished pouring the drinks and moved to sit down beside him. "Really I just wanted to spend time with you before I put the final shard in."

That caught Shinichi's attention. "You haven't put it together yet?"

Kaito shook his head, indigo eyes growing distant. "I was going to do it after dinner. It's strange you know," he added, tone growing quiet. "I've been looking for these for fifty years… And now they've all been found. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and find that this is just a dream."

Shinichi let out a snort of laughter that had Kaito raising his eyebrows.

"What?" the thief prodded.

Shinichi looked away, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "It's just… I've been thinking that same thing since the day we met."

Kaito laughed, and the last shred of tension that Shinichi had been sensing in him since that morning finally melted away. "Well, as long as you're beside me when I wake up, I don't care if this does turn out to be a dream."

The rest of their meal passed in a warm haze of quiet voices and golden lantern light. When they couldn't eat any more, Kaito made the leftovers disappear. Another snap of the fingers and his small, gold pocket watch was now dangling from his fingers. It spun slowly, wrapping the glow of the lanterns around itself until it almost seemed to be on fire. Both young men stared at it in silence as it twirled, round and round, slower and slower until it finally hung still.

Shinichi shifted restlessly where he sat. The air was practically humming with nervous expectation.

Kaito stood up abruptly and paced once around the circle of lanterns, his steps clipped and the watch still swinging from his hand. Then he stopped abruptly and caught the watch.

"Well, here goes."

Something blue glinted in his other hand. Shinichi could hear the faint clink of the stone being fitted back into the watch. He wondered for a moment if Kaito could make it whole again without any jewelers' tools, then all thoughts faded away as the watch in Kaito's hands burst into blue white fire.

It was so bright that it made even the lanterns look dim. Shinichi had to throw an arm over his eyes to keep from being blinded. Even with the extra shielding however he could see the light through his eyelids. It was as though this light, whatever it was, cared nothing at all for the physical rules or obstacles of the universe. Eyes watering, Shinichi turned away from it, but it didn't help at all.

Then the light died away, leaving the night in blessed darkness.

Blinking rapidly to clear his vision, Shinichi glanced around the circle of lanterns. Everything looked black and gray after that blaze of brilliance, and it took him a moment to locate the figure standing stock still near the middle of the circle.

"Kaito?" he asked hesitantly, getting carefully to his own feet and taking a cautious step forward. "Are you…all right?"

"I…I think so." Kaito sounded unusually uncertain. "The watch is gone."

"Do you feel different?" Shinichi asked curiously. His vision was almost back to normal now and he could see the thief examining his own hands as though making sure the watch wasn't hiding somewhere.

Finally, Kaito turned to look at him. Shinichi felt his breath catch in his throat as their eyes met. Kaito's eyes had changed. They were still that odd indigo color, but they seemed deeper—more real. He couldn't look away from them.

"Shinichi?" Kaito moved closer, now looking worried. "What's the matter?"

"I—I think it worked." Shinichi raised a hand to touch the side of Kaito's face as his voice grew more certain. "You look clearer."

"Clearer?" he repeated, puzzled. Though it didn't stop him from catching the other's hand and pressing their palms together. "What do you mean?"

Shinichi let him. "It's hard to describe. It's like you're more here than you were before."

"Ookay, I'll have to take your word on that." His face broke out into a grin and he jerked on the hand he was still holding, causing Shinichi to fall forward into his waiting arms. "I suppose only time will tell, but we can still celebrate!" He really did love that shade of pink.

X

It was the restless movement that woke him. Confused, Shinichi pried open his eyes to the darkness of the tent. The thin sliver of sky he could see peering in through the tent flap was a pallid, predawn gray. Beside him, something shifted and let out an agitated sound.

"Kaito?" he whispered, not sure if the magician was actually awake or just having a dream.

"Shinichi, there's something wrong with me. I think I'm dying," Kaito's voice groaned.

All desire to go back to sleep fled as Shinichi sat up, fear and concern making his heart race. Beside him, Kaito had curled into a ball, holding onto his stomach. "What's going on?" Shinichi demanded, trying to stay calm. "Where are you hurt?"

"My stomach feels like its collapsing in on itself," the thief croaked in response just as said stomach gave a loud rumble.

Understanding dawned and Shinichi flopped back onto the bedding with a snort of exasperated laughter. "Kaito, you're just hungry. Go get something to eat and you'll be fine."

There was a moment of silence. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," he sighed, grabbing the blanket and pulling it up over his head. "Ugh, I can't believe you woke me up before dawn just for that…"

"Hey, I haven't felt hunger in decades. It's not my fault I didn't remember what it felt like." He paused for a moment, then suddenly sat bolt upright. "Shinichi! Do you know what that means?"

"That you woke me up for no reason?" the detective's disgruntled voice grumbled from underneath the blanket.

"It means it really worked!" Letting out a whoop of laughter, Kaito grabbed Shinichi, blanket cocoon and all, and squeezed for all he was worth. "?It worked! It really worked!"

"Kaito!" Shinichi squawked, flailing in a futile attempt to free himself of the blankets and the thief's too-enthusiastic grip. "Get off me, I'm trying to sleep!"

X

When Ran got up that morning it was to find the whole camp in some sort of happy daze. Kaito was sitting at the main campfire with a mad grin plastered across his face as he watched the day's breakfast duty chef like a hawk watching a rabbit hole (which was obviously making said chef a little nervous). Beside him Shinichi was nursing a mug of coffee with the bleary-eyed pout he reserved for days when he was forced to get up at what he deemed to be an unholy hour and not allowed to go back to bed. She knew from experience that he wouldn't be worth talking to before he finished at least that first mug of coffee, preferably two or three of them.

"Good morning!"

She turned to see Aoko beaming at her. The other girl looked like she'd been up for a while.

"Did something happen?" Ran asked curiously as Aoko pulled her towards the main campfire.

"Oh, haven't you heard? The gem Shinichi brought back from that disappearing house yesterday turned out to be the right one after all. So we've finally found them all. We've been looking for them so long it's no surprise everyone's feeling a little loopy."

"Ah, I see." That made sense. "That means you guys can stop stealing, right?"

"Yeah. I have to admit, it's going to be a relief. Kaito always made sure he was the only one who ever actually stole anything, but having to be so careful all the time…" She shook her head. "I'm not going to be sorry to say goodbye to that."

"So then what are you guys going to do now?"

"That's up to Kaito. But first, let's eat!"

Shinichi looked up as they joined him and Kaito at the fire just as the chef rang the bell to let everyone know it was time for breakfast. The magician bounded up the moment it sounded like someone had released a spring, making a beeline for the food.

For some reason, Shinichi grimaced before glancing to Aoko. "I've been thinking, s it really a good idea to be camping here?"

"Probably not," she admitted, sending Kaito a pointed look as he returned to his seat with a large platter piled high with sizzling, egg sandwiches.

"We'll move the camp once the last scout gets back." Kaito assured them through a mouthful of sandwich.

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

Kaito swallowed and grinned. "Aw, are you still mad?"

"No."

"Your grumpy face says otherwise~."

"I am not grumpy."

"Uh huh. Riiight."

Ran watched the two for a moment longer then shook her head, a smile twitching uncontrollably at the corners of her mouth. They really were quite the pair. It seemed someone had finally managed to drag Shinichi out of his shell. She still didn't know him well, but her original reservations had long since gone.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen Kaito so happy."

Surprised, Ran turned to see Aoko watching the two just as she had been, her own expression soft.

Ran chuckled. "I guess we have something in common there."

"I don't _want_ a sandwich," Shinichi's irritated declaration rang out over the fire. "Ah, hey, give that back!"

"Nope. No sandwich, no coffee. It's this stuff that's messing with your appetite anyway."

"It is not!"

"What do you like so much about this stuff anyway?" Pause. "Yuck, it's disgusting. Let me get you something better."

"No! Wait! Come back!"

And they were off, Shinichi desperately trying to rescue his precious mug from a laughing Kaito who was somehow managing to munch his way through sandwich number two while simultaneously hijacking said mug and threatening to pour it out.

The girls traded looks and burst out laughing.

X

By noon all but one of the scouts Kaito had sent out originally to search the nearby towns had returned and everyone was getting ready to begin packing. Heiji, Shinichi was a little surprised to see, was actually helping Eisuke with the after-lunch cleanup. He was actually beginning to act like his usual, upbeat self again. That was good.

"Hey, I see him!" Keiko, who was currently on watch, exclaimed suddenly. Those who heard her paused to follow the line of her gaze. Several of them waved, calling out greetings, but Shinichi frowned.

"He's coming really fast," he remarked.

Aoko, who he'd been helping secure the more fragile supplies, looked around and squinted. "You're right…"

The rest of the camp seemed to have picked up on the signals as well. All activity stilled as they waited. There was the faintest sounds on the wind that suggested shouting.

"They know we're here!" the man's yell finally reached them as he came within earshot. As if on cue, more riders appeared over the horizon.

"Whoa, he wasn't kidding," Keiko gasped. "Talk about short notice!"

The camp burst into pure chaos. In the distance, they all heard the cry of "You are all under arrest!" but no one was listening. All over the camp tents were collapsing like straw houses in a gale. Supplies vanished into packs so quickly it looked like they had simply dissolved. And just as the horsemen came sweeping into the camp the entire area flooded with smoke.

In the midst of the mayhem, Shinichi felt someone grab his hand. The next thing he knew he was being pulled up onto what felt like a horse.

"Hang on tight," Kaito's voice instructed and they were off.

Shinichi closed his eyes against the wind and the smoke. "What about the others?"

"The Nakamoris will have them covered. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Our job is just to keep going, seeing as it's us they're gonna chase."

Shinichi cast a glance back over his shoulder and saw there were indeed a handful of men on horseback beginning to gallop after them. They were, however, too far back to have any hopes of catching up. Even as he watched they fell away like so many dust motes caught on the wind. But they were still struggling to follow.

"So what now?" he called over the howl of the wind as he turned back to burry his face in the back of Kaito's coat.

"Well, first we lose our tail. Then either you can come with me, in which case we'll send a message back to our respective cohorts and probably head up north for a while until they forget about me here, after which I think I'll go back into the treasure hunting business. With my network and your puzzle-solving experience, I'm sure we'd do great. Or you can decide to go home, in which case I'd let you off in the next town outside of Ekoda and head up north myself. But I'll warn you now, if you do decide to stay, I'll be back. I'm not very good at letting go and I don't like giving away what's mine."

"I'm not a thing you know."

"No, but you _are_ mine."

Shinichi rolled his eyes, but he really didn't mind. After all, he didn't want to let Kaito go either. Kaito was wrong about one thing though, he thought. He didn't have to go anywhere to go home, because he felt at home right here.

**Owari**

* * *

**A.N**: Hmm, it turned out a lot more surreal than I originally intended. I also have no idea why the Aoko and Hakuba part turned out the way it did, it just…did. Poor Aoko…but anyway, I'm kind of sad that it's ended, but it was certainly fun to write. Anyhow, thank you all for reading! ^_^


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